Midnight's Blood
by JJ Rust
Summary: Sequel to "Dark Horizon." My quartet of American OCs return to England to help Harry and company hunt down a pack of legendary beasts. One OC winds up falling for a canon character, and all of them get a harsh lesson in the realities of war.
1. A Call To Arms

**CHAPTER 1: A CALL TO ARMS**

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_Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Time Frame: Toward the end of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"_

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_What does Headmaster Dumbledore want with me?_

Jimmy O'Bannon had asked himself that question several times over the past couple of hours, since Ginny Weasley told him Dumbledore wanted to see him in his office at eight o'clock. He wondered if he could be in trouble for that prank he pulled with Fred, George and Lee, where they had the suits of armor around Hogwarts projectile vomit. But considering what the headmaster had told everyone at the Leaving Feast, he doubted the man would be concerned about some stupid prank.

"_Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."_

A chill gripped his spine as he replayed those words in his head. It was almost too much to comprehend. The most powerful dark wizard in history back among the living. A man, a thing, that had wiped out scores of people during The Big War. He didn't want to believe it, but he couldn't imagine Dumbledore making up something like that.

When O'Bannon reached the gargoyle in front of the door, he said, "Cockroach Cluster."

The gargoyle hopped out of the way. O'Bannon walked up the spiral stone staircase until he reached the polished oak door at the top. He banged the brass knocker twice.

"Enter," Dumbledore called from behind the door.

O'Bannon opened the door and stepped inside.

"Headmaster. You wanted to see me?"

"Indeed I did, Mister O'Bannon. Please, have a seat." Dumbledore waved him to a couch near his desk. "We have important matters to discuss."

O'Bannon took a step forward, then stopped in surprise.

Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mireet Miradeaux from Beauxbatons, and Miroslav Harkorth from Durmstrang all sat on the ridiculously long, cushy red sofa. He sat next to Mireet, who gave him a quick smile.

"Well," Dumbledore began. "Mister O'Bannon, Miss Miradeaux, Mister Harkorth. This certainly has been quite a year, has it not?"

"_Oui, _Headmaster," Mireet replied in a subdued voice.

"Had circumstances been normal, I would have brought the three of you to my office to tell you that it has been an absolute pleasure and honor having you attend our humble institution. I doubt there are many other wizards and witches who could have represented their schools, and their countries, as well as you three. Even though your time here was brief, you have left an indelible mark on Hogwarts, and through your hockey team, have forged bonds and friendships that I have no doubt will last a lifetime."

"Thank you, Headmaster," O'Bannon said.

"_Merci, _Headmaster. I appreciate your kind words."

"Thank you, Headmaster." Harkorth nodded to him. "I very much enjoyed my time at Hogwarts."

"I am most pleased to hear that," Dumbledore said. "But I wish heaping praise upon you three was the only reason I had for calling you here. As I said at the Leaving Feast, Lord Voldemort has returned."

Mireet noticeably shivered. Ron went pale.

"These are perilous times we face. As I'm sure you know from your history classes, Lord Voldemort's reign of terror was not confined to our island nation. His followers perpetrated horrendous acts in every corner of the world, including America, France and Eastern Europe."

Mireet closed her eyes and hung her head.

"Even as we speak," Dumbledore continued. "Voldemort is marshalling his forces for a second war. But this time, it is my belief he will not move until he has gathered sufficient numbers of Death Eaters and other allies. This is time we must use to gather our own forces to put a stop to his plans. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Magic refuses to do this."

"I don't get it," O'Bannon said. "Why won't the Ministry do anything to stop You-Know-Who? I thought they were supposed to protect you guys, all of us, from stuff like this."

Dumbledore's shoulders sagged. "That is exactly what they are supposed to do, Mister O'Bannon. But you must remember, during the last war, terrible, terrible things happened. Whole families were murdered. Unspeakable acts of torture and depravity took place. Many witches and wizards still bear the scars, physical and emotional, of that time. There are those who do not want to believe those dark times can ever happen again, and some of them happen to be in positions of power, like Minister Fudge. It pains me to say that Cornelius has been scared into inaction, afraid that admitting Voldemort is back will upset the 'relative peace' of the Wizarding World. Afraid that taking certain steps against Voldemort will make him unpopular and jeopardize his position."

"You gotta be kidding me." O'Bannon scowled. He hadn't thought highly of the British Minister of Magic during his dealings with him before the Triad/Slytherin hockey game. Now his opinion of the man was in the toilet.

"This is inexcusable," Mireet said with breathless indignation. "How can someone in such a position be so irresponsible?"

"Forget this Minister Fudge." Harkorth gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "There are wizarding leaders in other countries who can deal with this."

"Unfortunately, Mister Harkorth," Dumbledore said. "Our Ministry is doing its best to control the flow of information out of Britain. No leader beyond our shores will know the truth behind Cedric Diggory's death, or the grave threat we all face."

O'Bannon's stomach turned into a cold ball. He couldn't believe it. Controlling information? Suppressing information? This sort of stuff happened in places like the old Soviet Union, not in Great Britain, for God's sake!

"That is why we need your help."

"Our help?" O'Bannon stared unblinking at Dumbledore.

"The Ministry of Magic will not tell the rest of the world of Voldemort's return, but you three can. You must try and convince as many of your fellow countrymen and women as possible. But be prepared. You will inevitably go up against those who will refuse to believe. They will be steadfast in their position. You must be just as steadfast in yours."

"I'll do whatever I can back in The States," O'Bannon said.

"I will do my part as well." Harkorth nodded.

"I, too, shall help in whatever way I can," declared Mireet.

O'Bannon looked over at her. He noticed her eyes, her entire face, radiating intense determination. He cranked an eyebrow. There seemed to be something . . . more behind Mireet's desire to help.

"Excellent." Dumbledore straightened in his seat. "But along with convincing your fellow students of Voldemort's return, you should also try and identify which students seem likely to join our cause, and which ones may want to join the dark side. Mister O'Bannon, Miss Miradeaux, report your findings to your respective headmistresses. Mister Harkorth, we shall try to arrange meetings between you and the Weasley twins' older brother, Charlie, who works in a dragon preserve in Romania. Understood?"

"_Oui, _Headmaster."

"Yes, Headmaster," said Harkorth.

"No problem, Headmaster." Jolts of excitement shot through O'Bannon. This kind of cloak and dagger stuff sounded like something out of a Tom Clancy novel. And he'd really be doing it!

"Now." Dumbledore pressed his palms flat on his desk. "Before you three arrived, we discussed certain things." He turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins. "We agreed that if you decided to help us, you should be made aware of the whole story."

"Whole story?" O'Bannon's face scrunched in bewilderment.

"I'll let Harry explain."

O'Bannon, Mireet and Harkorth all turned to Harry. He fidgeted for a few moments, then looked over at them.

"Voldemort's return," he began. "Well, he's tried it before over the past four years."

For the next ten minutes, O'Bannon listened in silent awe as Harry ran down one of the most incredible tales he'd ever heard. It turned out during Harry's First Year, Voldemort had taken possession of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at the time, Professor Quirrell, and tried to use something called a Sorcerer's Stone to create a new body. But Harry, _eleven year old_ Harry, stopped him because Quirrell/Voldemort couldn't touch him without his skin burning. Something to do with the sacrifice of Harry's mother giving him magical protection.

Even more incredible was what happened to Harry his Second Year. Voldemort had transferred part of his soul into a diary and tried to suck out Ginny's life force in order to physically manifest himself. Not only did Harry stop him, but he also fought and killed a Basilisk. A friggin' Basilisk!

But Harry wasn't done there. He revealed that during his Third Year, he discovered his godfather Sirius Black, whom the Wizarding World believed sold out Harry's parents to Voldemort, was in fact innocent. Another supposed friend, Peter Pettigrew, had actually done the deed.

Oh yeah, Harry also saved Sirius from a hundred Dementors by casting a corporeal Patronus.

_Damn. Just . . . damn. _A kid had done all this. Okay, that kid had been the legendary Harry Potter, who survived a Killing Curse and vanquished Voldemort at one year old. But still . . .

Next came more recent history, from just the week before. Professor Moody had actually been Barty Crouch, Junior in disguise the entire year. Not only that, but the son of the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation was a Death Eater!

Chills went up O'Bannon's spine. My God, he'd actually spent the entire school year in the same classroom as a Death Eater?

_And I thought he was an awesome teacher._

Crouch, Junior, according to Harry, had killed his father, right here at Hogwarts, and rigged the tournament so Harry would win. The Tri-Wizard Cup, it turned out, had been a Port Key, which sent Harry and Cedric to a graveyard where Voldemort was resurrected.

"So where's Crouch, Junior now?" O'Bannon asked after Harry finished how he escaped from Voldemort.

"Fudge ordered a Dementor to suck out his soul, so no one else can ask him how he helped Voldemort."

O'Bannon slumped back into the sofa. A flicker of doubt rose inside him. Could this all be true? He studied the faces of Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins, trying to find any hint that they had made up the entire tale.

Their grim expressions told him otherwise.

"I cannot stress this enough," Dumbledore said. "You are involving yourselves in something deadly serious, and I do mean _deadly. _Voldemort and his followers were merciless toward any who opposed them. But you must also realize the consequences for the Wizarding _and _Muggle Worlds should Voldemort win."

O'Bannon swallowed. Bile swelled in his stomach. _What the hell am I getting myself into? _Hell's Bells he'd come to Hogwarts because he thought it would be cool to study abroad for a year.

_I didn't come here to be a resistance fighter. I'm a 16 year old hockey player from Boston, for God's sake._

Then he thought about Dumbledore's last words, the consequences should Voldemort win. He knew from his History of Magic classes that one of Voldemort's goals was the total extermination of Muggle-borns, and eventually Muggles in general. So if Voldemort won, O'Bannon had no doubt he'd be one of the first against the wall.

He didn't like that thought. He didn't like the idea of meekly accepting his death at the hands of some madman. Hell, he didn't want to die at all! But given the choice, he'd rather go down fighting than just stand there and let some friggin' piece of crap Death Eater _Avada Kedavra _him.

"I know there are risks, Headmaster. But I also know Muggle-borns like me and Hermione will be at the top of You-Know-Who's 'To Kill' List if he takes over. If I can do something to help stop that, then I'm in."

"My grandfather was Muggle-born," said Harkorth. "He and his parents had to go into hiding during Grindelwald's reign in Europe. I do not wish that to happen to other Muggle-borns. I will help."

"I feel the same as Jimmy and Miroslav," Mireet said firmly. "I will not stand by and let these horrors happen again."

"Very well." Dumbledore smiled and stood. "Thank you for your help, and good luck to the three of you."

He shook their hands. A minute later they filed out of Dumbledore's office. When they reached the staircase leading to Gryffindor Tower, Fred, George, Harry, Ron and Hermione started up it.

O'Bannon walked past it.

"Oi, Jimmy Boy," said Fred. "Wrong way."

"No, I was gonna walk Mireet back to the Beauxbatons carriage." He turned to her. "I mean, if that's okay with you."

"That is fine."

Harkorth looked first at O'Bannon, then Mireet. "Um, then I shall see you both before we leave tomorrow. Good night."

The Bulgarian nodded to them and walked off.

O'Bannon and Mireet waited a bit for Harkorth to get further ahead before they proceeded to the large archway that led outside. Before they started down the steps, O'Bannon said, "Mireet. Can I ask you something?"

"_Oui."_

He paused. "Well, um, I just . . . back in Headmaster Dumbledore's office, when you offered to help, it's just . . . I don't know, you just seemed to take it kinda personal."

Mireet's jaw quivered. She looked away from him.

"I'm sorry, Mireet. If you don't want to talk about it . . ."

She stared across the darkened grounds of Hogwarts for several seconds before turning back to him. "No. You are my friend. You deserve to know the truth."

Mireet stepped toward him. "You are right. There is something personal to all this."

After another long pause, she continued. "I was not yet two, and we were visiting my grandparents outside Toulon. It was my parents, me, my sister Monique, and . . . and my brother Markese."

"Your brother? You never told me you had a brother."

Mireet nodded slightly. "One day we all went to _Marche d'Fraychot, _the wizarding shopping district near my grandparents' home. A group of Death Eaters let loose a giant to attack the market. There was a panic. Markese, he was three. He . . . he got scared and slipped from my father's grasp and ran away. Father tried to catch him, but he ran into the giant's path and . . ."

O'Bannon bit his lip. His throat clenched when he noticed Mireet's eyes glisten.

"Father has never forgiven himself for that day. It caused him to drink, a lot. Every year, on July Seventh, Markese's birthday, Father hardly speaks. He spends most of the day in his study. Sometimes when I walk past, I can hear him crying. And Mother, she weeps openly. And I . . . this has gone on all my life. Every July Seventh. I do not know what to do to help my parents. There are times I am not sure how to feel. I never really knew Markese, being so young. But he was still my brother. Then there are times I get angry at You-Know-Who and his murderers for denying me the chance to grow up with my brother. Sometimes, God forgive me . . ." Her jaw quivered. "Sometimes I get angry at my father for not saving Markese."

A tear slid down Mireet's cheek. "When Headmaster Dumbledore offered me this chance to help, I had to take it. I want to avenge Markese's death in some way, and . . . I just don't want any other families to suffer as mine has."

She unsuccessfully tried to suppress a sniffle.

O'Bannon pulled her into a tight embrace. Mireet squeezed him to the point he feared he might suffocate. He didn't care. He continued to hold her, wishing he could do something to take away her pain.

O'Bannon closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against Mireet's hair. Would she lose someone else she cared about? Would he? Would he have to do more than just keep an eye on his fellow students at Salem? Would he actually be called on to fight?

A cold tremor went through him. What did the future hold for him? For Mireet? For everyone?

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	2. The Advocosfaira

**CHAPTER 2: THE ADVOCOSFAIRA**

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_Location: Wizarding community of Haypippil Square, Washington, D.C., USA._

_Time Frame: Late December during "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." (Six months after the events in my fanfic "Dark Horizon")_

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_

Jimmy O'Bannon sprang to his feet after completing his morning routine of a hundred crunches and a hundred push-ups. He immediately followed that with his other morning routine, staring at a framed moving photo hanging on the wall of his small apartment. A sigh slowly escaped his lips as he studied the smiling quartet with their arms wrapped around one another. They all wore robes and pointy hats, blue for the three boys and silver for the one lone girl.

_Has it really been six months?_

Sometimes that day, graduation day, still seemed unreal to him. He'd spent seven years at the Salem Witches Institute – six, really, considering he studied abroad for one year at Hogwarts in Britain. But a huge chunk of his life had been spent at that school, with Jared Diaz, Rosa Infante and Artimus Rand his constant companions.

Now they were all on their own.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek. His desires pulled him in two different directions. On the one hand, he did like being on his own. He didn't have to deal with classes, homework and detentions any more, and he could come and go as he pleased. On the other hand, he missed the camaraderie of his fellow students, pulling pranks, and just hanging with Jared, Rosa and Artimus. They still remained close. Nothing would ever change that, not after everything they'd been through. But getting all four of them together in one place these days proved difficult. Auror training took up much of Rosa's time. Jared had been in Mexico the last two months combing through Mayan ruins with an expedition from the Magical Museum of North America. Even Artimus' job with the Department of Magic's Office of Wizarding-Muggle Relations kept him extremely busy, especially given the current climate in the Wizarding World.

O'Bannon frowned. Either here in Haypippil Square or back at Salem, one constant would be with him and everyone else in the Wizarding World.

The threat of Lord Voldemort.

With that in mind, he strode toward a plain, worn wooden desk stationed near the window. He glanced at the old-style wooden buildings across the street as he sat down. Pulling out his wand, he waved it back and forth in front of his computer three times.

"_Muggletus Fabrica Operor!" _O'Bannon circled his wand once and tapped the computer. Within moments it hummed to life.

He sat back and smiled, thinking back to Dean Thomas and all his experiments trying to get Muggle devices like CDs and DVDs to work inside Hogwarts. He had succeeded, to a degree. One of his experiments caused the Warner siblings from the cartoon _Animaniacs _to escape into the real world and run amuck through Hogwarts. O'Bannon frowned, remembering how Wacko had eaten his autographed photo of Boston Bruins great Ray Bourque. He'd never forgive Dean for that. Thankfully, Hermione Granger helped to perfect the spell, as one would expect from "the brightest witch of her age." Now O'Bannon could use his computer, stereo and TV in the Wizarding World. Because of that, the Guild of the Light decided he was the perfect choice for a "very important" task.

Monitoring Muggle news sources for any "suspicious" deaths or accidents. Suspicious meaning Death Eaters might be the cause.

O'Bannon grunted. At times he couldn't figure out how causing apartment fires and bridge collapses aided Voldemort's efforts to conquer the Wizarding World. As Jared's mother, Auror Liana Diaz, told him, spreading fear was a vital strategy for the dark forces. It helped keep "the good guys" off-balance. In addition, causing so much death and destruction with impunity made witches and wizards think twice about opposing Voldemort and his thugs. On a baser level, as Mrs. Diaz put it, "These monsters just enjoy killing people."

O'Bannon's gaze shifted to the large snow globe on his desk while he waited for the computer to warm up. He watched the snow fall on a miniature version of the wizarding town of Ovenderburg, complete with working street lamps and moving figurines of wizards and witches, some conversing, others walking into shops. He sighed at the scene. It looked so peaceful. For a second he envied the little figurines who went about their business without a care in the world.

Or maybe those figurines _did _worry about the outside world, considering the true nature of this snow globe.

Several little icons popped up on the computer screen, causing O'Bannon to end his musings.

_Time to make my "contribution" to the war effort. _It pissed him off to no end that six months after joining the Guild they still had him doing this crap detail. Dammit, he'd joined them to fight Death Eaters, not plink away at a computer. He and his friends had already proven they could handle Death Eaters, even experienced aurors. But did that matter to the higher-ups in the Guild of the Light? Hell no. They seemed content to let the Muggle-born sit at his _"comp-tooter"_ and watch the friggin' news.

O'Bannon logged on to the internet and typed his usual key words into the search engine. ACCIDENT. DISASTER. FIRE. DEATHS. UNEXPLAINED. UNKNOWN CAUSE.

One hit led him to a news story out of Rochester, New York. There had been a huge pile-up last night on the New York State Thruway resulting in six deaths, four of them in a mini-van that had burst into flames. Twelve others had also been injured. When O'Bannon saw the accident occurred during a snowstorm, he doubted Death Eaters had anything to do with it.

The next hit made him raise an eyebrow. Yesterday afternoon in Utah a twin-prop commuter plane collided with a small private plane over the Provo Municipal Airport, killing twenty-three people. Investigators appeared puzzled by the nature of the crash, as the weather was clear and the control tower reported normal communications with both planes right up till the time of the collision.

This definitely looked like something he should bring to the Guild's attention. He moved the cursor to the print icon at the top of the screen and raised his finger to click the mouse.

The floor behind him creaked.

O'Bannon's eyes widened. He heard another footstep behind him. Another. He quickly moved the cursor to the home icon and clicked, hoping he got rid of the mid-air collision story in time.

"Good morning," said a soft voice. A pair of hands grasped his shoulders and began massaging them.

O'Bannon turned in his seat. A trim young woman with mocha skin and short dark hair stood behind him. She only wore a black t-shirt, one of his, which read, "Football Was Invented For Wimps Who Can't Cut It In Hockey."

"Hey, babe," he smiled at his girlfriend, Talia Laribee.

She bent down and kissed him full on the lips. "How long have you been up?"

"I don't know. Fifteen, twenty minutes, maybe. You looked zonked out and I didn't want to wake you."

"I wouldn't have minded if you did." Talia waggled her thin eyebrows at him.

Electric jolts went through O'Bannon as Talia slid her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Gotta play with your doohickey, huh?" she said.

O'Bannon sighed in mock frustration. "We've been together for nearly five months now. You think you could call it by its proper name. Computer."

"Mm, I like doohickey better."

He shook his head. "It's a good thing you're sexy, otherwise I wouldn't put up with this." He tacked on a smile at the end.

"Jimmy." Had Talia's skin been a lighter color, she'd surely be blushing. That had been one thing he never understood about her in all the time they'd been dating. Talia always seemed to doubt or underestimate her own beauty. But her looks had been the main reason he'd gone over to the table the Young Wizards and Witches Athletics and Activities Association had set up at the Salem job fair a couple days before graduation. He found Talia to not only be gorgeous, but very nice with an energetic personality. Shortly after he began working with her at the YWWAAA, he asked her out. O'Bannon recalled their third date, when she hesitantly admitted she'd been surprised at his interest in her, since, "You just strike me as the kind of guy who'd be dating mind-blowingly beautiful women."

"I am dating a mind-blowingly beautiful woman," he had replied. "One who happens to be a great person to boot."

Talia had smiled shyly at that. If anything her comment surprised him. With his lean 5'10 frame, his round face and conservatively combed brown hair, O'Bannon wouldn't dream of putting himself in the same class as whichever Muggle movie star girls currently went insane over. He thought he'd lucked out big-time going out with someone as hot as Talia Laribee. The same had been true during his brief relationships with the Seeker for his dorm's Quidditch team, Rana Rollingsworth, and the British auror Nymphadora Tonks. He could also throw Mireet Miradeaux in there. True they never got romantically involved while at Hogwarts, but he had taken her to the Yule Ball. That had to count for something.

A kiss on the cheek by Talia pulled him back to the present. "So how much longer are you going to spend on your doohickey?"

"Just a few minutes. I wanna check the Bruins score from last night."

"Okay." Talia patted him on the shoulder. "I'll leave you to it."

She backed away from him. O'Bannon went to his favorites icon and clicked on . He sat back and waited for the site to come up.

Something fell over his head. He tensed as the world around him went black. O'Bannon grasped a handful of cloth in his right hand and yanked. The computer, the snow globe, the desk and the window all reappeared before him. He glanced down at the bundle of cloth he clutched and unfolded it. It turned out to be a t-shirt. The same t-shirt Talia had been wearing.

He spun around, his heart speeding up. But Talia was nowhere in sight.

"I'll be in the shower if you _want_ me," her voice carried from the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom. Seconds later he heard a steady stream of water.

O'Bannon turned back to the web site. He bit down on his lip, trying to decide. Final score of last night's Bruins game, or gorgeous, naked, wet girlfriend.

_I love my Bruins. But . . ._

He shoved his chair away and jumped to his feet. "Coming, sweetheart."

O'Bannon stripped off his t-shirt and started toward the bathroom.

A rush of wind from the snow globe caught his attention.

His body stiffened. Slowly, O'Bannon turned. The light snow that had been falling on the model of Ovenderburg morphed into a full-scale blizzard, blotting out the town. His chest seized. He couldn't blink as he stared intently at the snow globe. Or rather, what _looked_ like a snow globe. The decoration was merely a disguise for an advocosfaira, a magical message sphere. The only messages it delivered came from one source. The Guild of the Light.

The blizzard formed ethereal white words. COME TONIGHT AT 6 FOR DINNER.

O'Bannon gazed at the last two words. He knew the Guild wasn't really inviting him to dinner. That was just the code word telling him the place for the meeting, a place he knew very well.

Nervousness churned within him. His next scheduled meeting with the Guild wasn't for two days. What could be so important they needed to see him tonight?

A spark of excitement sliced through his nervousness. Maybe the Guild wanted to give him a real assignment. Something that didn't involve sitting at a damn computer. That had to be it. He'd paid his dues for six months. He'd discovered several "accidents" in the Muggle World the Guild later determined had been caused by Death Eaters. And he'd been doing very well in his advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts training.

Maybe now the Guild of the Light would finally let him do what he had wanted to do from the first day he joined them.

Fight.

_**NEXT: REUNITED**_

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_"Advocosfaira" is a combination of the Latin "advoco," meaning to summon, and the Greek "sfaira," meaning sphere. I couldn't find any translation in Latin for "sphere" or "orb" or "globe," so I figured Greek was the next best thing._


	3. Reunited

**CHAPTER 3: REUNITED**

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**No matter how many times he traveled by Floo, O'Bannon still couldn't get used to the weird feeling. The moment he stepped into the emerald green flames gushing from his apartment's fireplace, his body felt as though it twisted and contracted. Then came that rushing, pulling sensation, like being sucked down a drain.

Just like that, it was over. He stepped out of another fireplace and onto oak floorboards. A living room with furniture straight out of the 19th Century lay before him. In the corner stood a Christmas tree decorated with shiny balls that changed colors and patterns every few seconds. A small model of Santa's sleigh pulled by his reindeer flew around the top of the tree.

Before he could take another step, tendrils of green flame encircled him. A shimmering orange barrier formed around him. He simply stood there. It wasn't the first time he'd gone through this routine.

A tall, stout man with tan, angular features and a goatee sprinkled with some gray emerged from a hallway and marched toward him, wand raised. He stopped a couple feet from the magical barrier.

"Identify yourself," he demanded.

"Jimmy O'Bannon."

"Who's your _second _favorite Quidditch player in the world?"

"Rolf Rudcutt, Beater for the Philadelphia Warhammers."

"Why?"

"Because in the USQA Semi-Finals against the Miami Immortals four years ago he broke both his arms but still finished the game, which Philly won 540-460."

Almost immediately, the flaming tendrils vanished, as did the transparent orange barrier. The man lowered his wand and stepped toward him.

"Good to see you, Jimmy." Cesario Infante shook his hand.

"You too, Mister Infante." O'Bannon moved away from the fireplace now that he completed the standard security checks. One couldn't be too careful during these times. "I got your message in the advocosfaira. So what's going on?"

"You'll find out soon. Everyone's meeting in the basement. I need to stay here. We have a few more guests coming."

O'Bannon nodded and made his way through the Infantes' living room. A few more guests, eh? More and more this sounded like a big deal.

His pace quickened as he entered the hallway and headed for the basement door. He hurried down the stairs, jumping off the next to the last step. He briefly gazed around. Old fashioned oil lamps, burning brighter than any Muggle-made ones, illuminated the basement. To his left a large map of the United States hung from the wall, tiny undulating banners showing recent Death Eater activity. On the opposite wall was a piece of parchment with a black and white photo. The faces changed every few seconds, as did the bold face type underneath displaying the name of Death Eaters and other dark supporters to keep watch for. Tables had also been set up throughout the room for maps, books, piles of parchment and various dark detection devices. Several wooden chairs had been arranged in a semi-circle at the other end of the basement. O'Bannon smiled when he recognized the three people gathered near the chairs. One was a slender, striking woman with jet black hair falling past her shoulders. Next to her stood another woman with similar features, though younger with long, curled hair and several sparkling studs in her ears. A tall young man with an angular face and close cropped brown hair rounded out the trio.

"Jimmy!" Rosa Infante bounded across the basement and jumped on him, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

"Glad you remember me," he said as they broke their embrace. "You spend so much time training to save the Wizarding World these days I thought you'd forgotten all about me."

Rosa slapped his chest and smirked. "Quit trying to make me feel guilty."

"Yeah, like that's possible."

She made a face at him, then softly chuckled.

"Hey, Jimmy." Artimus Rand vigorously shook his hand, a huge smile spreading across his face. "Good to see you."

"You too, man." He slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Seems like these Guild meetings are the only chance I get to see you guys."

"I know." Artimus frowned. "But things are nuts at the Office of Wizarding-Muggle Relations now. My boss is meeting with Muggle government officials almost every day. They're in a panic with all those Death Eater-caused 'accidents' over the past few months. And everyone's working overtime trying to convince the families of Muggle-borns their kids are safe going back to their respective schools. Would you believe yesterday I spent nearly four hours trying to convince this man in West Virginia that keeping his Muggle-born daughter home and protecting her with a . . . a, um, _shoot-gum . . ."_

"Shotgun," O'Bannon corrected him.

"Yeah, that thing. He kept insisting that no wizard's immune to _butt-shot._ He didn't seem to understand that a simple Disarming Charm or Shield Charm could render his shotgun useless."

"Sounds like you really got your work cut out for you."

"Yeah. It stinks we can't hang out together all the time like at Salem."

"True. But at least Jimmy has someone to keep him company." Rosa waggled her eyebrows at O'Bannon, then nudged him with her elbow. "So? How's everything going with you and Talia?"

"Everything's fine." _Except during times like these._ Thankfully, tonight had been better than other nights when he needed an excuse to sneak off to a Guild of the Light meeting. It turned out a couple former school friends of Talia's had come to Washington and planned a girls' night out. So he didn't have to tell her, "I just remembered. I need to pick up some supplies for my flag football program," or "I gotta meet an old hockey teammate of mine and see if he's interested in helping me out with my Muggle sports programs." Those other times had caused some friction in their relationship, but he'd always made it up to her. If only she could become a member of the Guild, too. That would make everything so much easier. But when he brought up the idea to Jared's mother, she hadn't been keen on having someone he had known only a short time join the Guild.

"During the last war," she told him, "it wasn't unheard of for the other side to use female spies to get close to wizards in important positions."

O'Bannon didn't believe for a moment Talia was a spy. But he did, begrudgingly, accept Mrs. Diaz's logic.

Despite all these obstacles, he was determined to make things work between him and Talia. But trying to have a normal relationship while fighting a war did not come easily.

_Who's fighting?_ His lip bitterly curled at the thought.

"Rosa, quit trying to squeeze every single detail about Jimmy's love life out of him."

Adelaide Infante's voice snapped him out of his reverie. The witch strode over to him and gave him a hug. "How are you doing, Jimmy?"

"Fine, Mrs. Infante. So what did you want to see me about?"

"Actually, Liana's running this meeting. She should be here in a few minutes. Meantime, you three catch up. I need to check on dinner. We're having crusted halibut."

O'Bannon's mouth watered. "Cool. When do we eat? I'm starving."

"Sorry. Meeting first, then dinner."

O'Bannon fought to keep a frown off his face. _Can't we eat _during _the meeting?_

Mrs. Infante headed upstairs, leaving the three to talk. Most of their conversation involved O'Bannon and Artimus bombarding Rosa with questions about her auror training.

"We've had six more people either quit or get cut from the program this month. Nearly half the witches and wizards I started training with are gone. I mean, Mom, Dad and Aunt Liana always told me auror training was tough, but they never said it would be _this _tough. And you should see the guy we have as our potions instructor. You think Mister Korvette was bad? Or that guy you had at Hogwarts, Jimmy. What was his name, Snape? They're both cuddly little kittens compared to this asshole."

"Asshole?" A familiar voice called from the top of the stairs. "Well, if you're using a term like that, you can't be talking about me."

O'Bannon's eyes widened. He spun around and strode toward the stairs, followed by Rosa and Artimus. They got to the landing just as a short, stocky young man appeared before them.

"So how about some welcome home hugs, huh?" Jared Diaz smiled and spread his arms.

"Merlin's beard, you're home!" Rosa flung herself at her cousin and hugged him. O'Bannon and Artimus piled on and slapped Jared's back repeatedly.

"When did you get in?" asked Artimus.

"Port keyed in this afternoon. The museum decided to take a break from our dig so they can look over everything we found so far. You should see some of the stuff those old Mayan wizards and witches could do, especially with Divination."

"You should've owled us," said Rosa.

"C'mon, cuz. You know I can't do that."

"Oh. Yeah, right." A brief scowl crossed Rosa's face. O'Bannon wondered if she was annoyed at herself for forgetting that particular security measure. The Diazes and Infantes forbade the quartet from sending owls to one another, or any of their friends, since they could be easily intercepted by the other side. It didn't matter if they only wanted to write about a Quidditch match they attended or whom they were currently dating. Rosa's and Jared's parents told them even the smallest personal details could help the Death Eaters if they ever decided to impersonate any of them. Because of that, O'Bannon had no clue how any of his friends in England were doing. What were Fred, George, Lee, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet up to now that they had graduated from Hogwarts? Were Harry Potter and Cho Chang still together? Or Ginny Weasley and Michael Corner? How did Gryffindor's Quidditch team look this year? What about his friends from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang contingents? Harkorth and Velich and . . . Mireet?

O'Bannon cast his eyes to the floor. What he wouldn't give for just some bit of news that they were all okay.

"What's this thing you're wearing?" Artimus asked.

O'Bannon's eyes snapped up. His brow furrowed when he noticed what covered Jared's curly black hair. An honest-to-God brown cowboy hat.

"You like it?" Jared slid his thumb and index finger along the rim of the hat. "I'm trying to look like that ass-kicking _ark-log-ist_ from that movie you showed me, Jimmy. You know, Idaho Jones."

O'Bannon rolled his eyes. "That's _Indiana_ Jones."

"Oh." Jared shrugged. "Well, I knew it was one of those states that started with an 'I'."

"And he wore a fedora, not a cowboy hat."

"Oh. Well, close enough. Anyway, check out what else I got."

Jared reached beneath his robes and pulled out a coiled object. O'Bannon's eyes widened when Jared unwound it.

"What the hell is that?" Rosa gazed at it with a perplexed expression.

"It's a whip." Jared stared admiringly at his new toy. "Just like the one that Jones guy had."

"Where did you find it?" asked O'Bannon.

"Some little shop in Tampico. This Muggle-born guy from Mexico's Department for the Investigation and Cataloging of Magical Artifacts assigned to our expedition took us on a tour there. I tried it out as soon as I got back to camp. You wouldn't believe how hard this thing is to use. And it looked so easy in the movie."

"So why do you carry it around if you don't know how to use it?"

Jared shot Rosa an elfish grin. "Because, dear cousin, I _can _use it. Well, after I put a ton of charms on it. Here, let me show you."

They all moved to the center of the basement. O'Bannon, Artimus and Rosa stood off to the side as Jared loosened the wrist of his whip hand.

"Okay, watch me grab that chair over there."

Jared raised his hand, then snapped it forward. The whip sliced through the air toward the chair. At the last second, it veered to the left and rushed toward _them_.

"Crap!" O'Bannon dropped to his knees, as did Rosa.

Artimus wasn't as lucky.

"Hey!" The whip tied itself around his waist.

"Oops." Jared winced. "Yeah, I guess I need to do a little more work on the charms. Sorry about that, buddy."

Artimus frowned as he tried to untangle himself from the whip.

Suddenly it unwrapped itself from his waist.

"Jared, put that thing away before you hurt someone."

The four turned to see a stocky woman with short black hair approaching them, her wand still aimed at the whip, now resting at Artimus' feet.

"C'mon, Mom. I just wanted to show everyone my new whip."

Liana Diaz sighed and looked to O'Bannon. "Do most Muggles emulate everything they see in _moof-iz?"_

He shrugged. "It could be worse. He coulda tied a towel around his neck and jumped off the roof like Superman."

"Hmm." Jared looked thoughtfully to the ceiling. "I wonder if I could charm a towel to fly."

"Don't even think about it," Mrs. Diaz said sternly.

Jared frowned, but O'Bannon noticed a glimmer in his friend's eyes that indicated he was thinking about it.

"Anyway, it's good to see you all." Mrs. Diaz hugged O'Bannon, Rosa and Artimus.

Two more people entered the basement, a thickly built balding man and a hefty, brown-haired young man. After the quartet greeted Jared's father, Irving, and Artimus' older brother, Hector, they took their seats in front of the floating chalkboard. Mrs. Diaz stood before them.

"Now, before I get to the reason I called you four here tonight, do any of you have new information that could be of importance to the Guild?"

O'Bannon presented Mrs. Diaz with a printout of the article on the mid-air collision in Provo, Utah. Artimus talked about the increased panic among the parents of Muggle-born students and Muggle government officials who knew of the Wizarding World's existence. Rosa had nothing new to contribute.

Then came Jared's turn.

"There was this guy from the Mexican contingent of our expedition. Umberto was his name. His fiancé was killed by Death Eaters during the last war. Told me he wishes death on You-Know-Who and everyone who supports him. He might be someone we could use as a contact down there."

"We'll look into that. Thank you, Jared." Mrs. Diaz nodded to him. "Is there anyone else from your expedition we might be interested in?"

"I don't know about you, but for me there's this hot little _senorita_ from the Mexican Department for the Investigation and Cataloging of Magical Artifacts that I've gotten to know _real_ well."

"Dude, gimmie some." O'Bannon held up his hand, which Jared high-fived. Mr. Diaz, sitting a couple seats away, gave his son a thumbs-up.

Rosa groaned and rolled her eyes.

The corners of Mrs. Diaz's mouth twitched. "Yes, and I'm sure I'll be receiving an invitation to the wedding very soon. Now, if there's nothing else of _importance _to share . . ."

The pause lasted a few seconds. When no one spoke, Mrs. Diaz continued.

"Okay then. Now, I summoned you four here because the Guild has an assignment we feel you are well suited for."

_Yes! _O'Bannon slid to the edge out his seat, holding his breath. This is what he'd been waiting for for six long months.

"We recently received information that Death Eaters have smuggled a pack of hostile creatures from the U.S. into Great Britain. Given your experience dealing with the British, especially you Jimmy, you'll be able to make contact with representatives of the Order of the Phoenix, inform them of the creatures' presence, and aid in hunting them down."

O'Bannon's insides felt ready to burst. Not only would he be on an important mission for the Guild, but it would take him to Britain. And if he had to contact the Order of the Phoenix, he'd likely run into the Weasley twins, Ginny, Ron and Harry Potter.

_This is too friggin' cool!_

"What kind of creatures are we talking about?" Rosa's eyes widened. "Reptoids? Wendigos? Shadow Panthers?"

"No. Chupacabra."

Mrs. Diaz's words hit O'Bannon like an invisible fist. Had he heard right? Did she really say . . .

"Chupacabra?" Jared's face scrunched up. He aimed his unblinking eyes at his mother. "Chupacabra, Mom?"

"I thought you said these were dangerous creatures." Disbelief coated Rosa's voice.

"They are."

"Yeah. If you're a goat or a sheep." The skin around Rosa's nose crinkled.

"You don't think protecting livestock is important? There are still a few witches and wizards who make their living raising and selling goats and cows and sheep for food or clothing material. Need I remind you of the Chupacabra attacks in Texas and Northern Mexico in the 1930s and 40s that wiped out entire herds of farm animals?"

"Okay, we get it." Jared's shoulders slumped. "Chupacabra are bad for livestock. But for Merlin's sake, we learned how to deal with them, like, in our Third Year at Salem."

"You don't want to take them lightly, Jared," said Mr. Diaz. "My first year with the Bureau for the Management of Magical Creatures, I helped eradicate a pack of Chupacabra in New Mexico. One wizard on my team got too close to one and the little bastard nearly ripped his arm off with one swipe."

"Probably because he was careless," Rosa griped. "C'mon, Uncle Irving. How many Chupacabra attacks have there been on humans in the last twenty years? Ten? Fifteen? Most times they run off when they get just a sniff of people."

"Why would You-Know-Who even waste his time with these things?" O'Bannon threw up his arms.

"Most likely it's just another tactic to spread fear and panic, not just among magical folk, but Muggles as well."

"Pretty lame way to do it," Jared grumbled. "Chupacabra. Jeez, what's next? Letting loose garden gnomes in the Department of Magic?"

"Just remember." Mrs. Diaz's tone grew a bit firmer. "The British have no experience dealing with Chupacabra."

"I could send 'em my Defense Against the Dark Arts book from Third Year. They can learn all about 'em that way."

Mrs. Diaz's jaw stiffened as she fixed a hard stare on Rosa. "_If_ we had any secure lines of communication or transport between our two countries, we would. We're still working on that. In the meantime, this is our best option. Not only that, but we can use the opportunity to exchange information. There's probably a lot happening in England that's not being covered in _The All-Seeing Eye's _International Section. And I'm sure the Order's curious to know what's happening with the war effort here in the U.S."

Mrs. Diaz drew a slow breath. "Now, thanks to Hector's position with the Department's Office of International Magical Travel, he's managed to set up a port key for you. It will take you to France, just outside Calais."

"France?" A quizzical look came over O'Bannon's face. "I thought we were supposed to go to Britain."

"Too risky," Hector answered. "If You-Know-Who and his goons don't detect your port key, the British Ministry of Magic will, which means the other side will find out about it eventually. Plus there are still plenty of young people port keying from America and Canada to the continent to broom across Europe. They think all the bad stuff is confined to Britain despite all the travel warnings the Department of Magic and the Canadians have put out. Still, you'll raise a lot less suspicion landing in France as opposed to the U.K."

"After that," Mrs. Diaz took over, "you'll fly across the Channel to England. We'll put multiple stealth charms on your brooms to make it difficult for any wards set up by the Ministry or You-Know-Who's forces to detect you. Then, Jimmy, I'm sure you can lead everyone to the -"

"Man, this is bullcrap," Jared groused.

"Jared!" Mrs. Diaz's eyes blazed with anger. "I have had enough of your smart mouth!"

"Oh c'mon, Aunt Liana," Rosa snapped. "Chasing Chupacabra around Britain? This is the best the Guild can do for us?"

"The Guild of the Light exists to fight You-Know-Who, not to make you happy. This is the assignment you've been given, so accept it!"

"After every -"

"Enough!" Mrs. Diaz's body jerked as she shouted. "I don't want to hear another word out of either of you until this meeting is over!"

Both Jared and Rosa sat back in the chairs, glaring at Mrs. Diaz.

O'Bannon's eyes flickered between his friends and the witch. He empathized with Rosa and Jared. He, too, was pissed off at Mrs. Diaz right now. Hadn't they all proven themselves in combat versus Death Eaters and aurors? Hadn't they done enough monkey work over the past six months? Didn't they deserve a more important mission?

He slumped in his seat, staring at the floor instead of Mrs. Diaz. He'd come here tonight expecting to fight, to make a real contribution to the war effort. Instead he and his friends wound up as the wizarding version of pest control.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	4. Strained Relations

**CHAPTER 4: STRAINED RELATIONS**

**

* * *

**Rosa snatched a bra out of her dresser drawer, clenched it in her fist, and shoved it into her backpack with the other crumpled clothing. She knew she'd already be done packing had she just used her wand. But that wouldn't do right now. She needed something in her hands. Something she could crush, something she could take out her frustrations on.

No matter how many articles of clothing she clenched and shoved into her backpack, she remained pissed off. Beyond pissed off, actually.

_Chupacabra. Friggin' Chupacabra._

She enclosed a fist around a pair of socks and rammed them into the backpack sitting on her bed.

Someone knocked on her door, a very authoritive knock. Rosa sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Coming." She made no attempt to conceal her annoyance.

She exited her little bedroom and entered the little living room/kitchenette of her little apartment. Actually, to call it an apartment would be generous. This place could fit in the closet of her old room back at Salem. But since it was part of an apartment complex outside Arlington, Virginia the Auror's Bureau used to house its trainees, she knew she couldn't expect anything fancy, or half-way decent.

At least she didn't have to pay rent. The Department of Magic footed the bill for that, which was the _only_ nice thing she could say about living here.

Rosa clutched the doorknob, twisted it and flung the door open. Her lips curled.

Aunt Liana stood in the doorway.

"Opening the door without checking first to see who it is?" Disappointment coated the older witch's voice. "Either training standards are slipping or you forgot one of the most basic principals of wizarding safety."

"None of the wards went off."

"And we all know how foolproof wards are, don't we?"

Rosa snorted and narrowed her eyes.

"Well?" Aunt Liana folded her arms and stayed put.

Rosa ground her teeth for a moment. "Who was Mister Mibwibs?"

"He was the stuffed bear I gave you for Christmas when you were five-years-old, which you threw into the creek by your house a week later because you thought he was wimpy."

Without a word, Rosa stepped aside and let her aunt in.

"What are you doing here?" She headed back to the bedroom.

"You're leaving for England tomorrow." Aunt Liana followed her. "I wanted to say good-bye."

"Thanks." Rosa marched over to her dresser and reached into her sock drawer.

"And to talk about what happened earlier this evening."

Rosa kept her back to her aunt and closed her eyes. Her right fist shook as she crushed her socks.

"I was appalled by your behavior at the meeting. Yours and Jared's."

"Sorry," Rosa muttered, not meaning it.

"Turn around when you talk to me! Your parents raised you better than that."

Rosa slammed her socks back in the drawer and spun on her heel to face Aunt Liana. The older witch's face stiffened in anger.

"When you and Jared joined the Guild of the Light, you took an oath. One part of that oath was to obey the orders of your superiors, just like you do here at auror training. I gave you a mission. Whether you like it or not doesn't matter to me or anyone else in the Guild. This is your mission, and I expect you to carry it out."

"Well the mission stinks."

Aunt Liana's cheeks reddened. "I suggest you fix that attitude of yours. Because no one in the Guild, the Aurors Bureau, or the entire Department of Magic is going to put up with it. _I'm_ not going to put up with it!"

Rosa drew deep, angry breaths. "You wanna know where this _attitude_ comes from? The fact that me and Jared and Jimmy and Artimus helped stop You-Know-Who's plans not once, but _twice._ We did stuff a lot of aurors can only dream of. And then we get saddled with something as lame as Chupacabra hunting?"

"You don't think that's serious? British witches and wizards have never dealt with them before. They don't know which wards or spells work on them and which don't. They don't know the proper techniques for tracking them. And if they go unchecked, they could wreak havoc on the livestock trade in _both _the Wizarding and Muggle worlds."

"That's a big if. When was the last time Chupacabra really hurt a country's livestock trade? It's been decades. They're just a nuisance. Nothing more."

"They're still a threat," Aunt Liana leaned forward to emphasize the point. "Especially if You-Know-Who's behind it."

"Yeah. I'm sure Chupacabra are a really important part of his plan to take over the world."

"Wars have many fronts. It just so happens this is yours."

"What, you couldn't put us on a better front? Maybe a front where we, I don't know, actually fight Death Eaters."

"This isn't one of the little backyard adventures you and Jared went on when you were kids." Aunt Liana's brow furrowed. "This is war we're talking about, Rosa. It's not something you jump into with the enthusiasm of a Quidditch game. People get hurt, badly. They also die."

"I know people die, I'm not naïve. But we're not gonna win this war by fighting Chupacabra. We're gonna win it by fighting Death Eaters. Which, oh by the way, _I have."_

Aunt Liana responded with a sardonic laugh. "One fight in Ovenderburg and you think you're ready to tackle every Death Eater in America? You keep harping on all this combat experience you had at Ovenderburg and in England, but most aurors you tell those stories to would not be impressed one bit."

Rosa felt anger lines dig deep into her face. Her teeth clenched to the point she expected to shatter a few molars.

Her aunt continued. "And maybe you've forgotten, but in both instances you had help from an _actual _auror. If it hadn't been for Nymphadora Tonks, things would have turned out _very_ differently for you, Jared and your friends."

"So now you're saying I'm incompetent?" Rosa flung her arms out to her sides.

Aunt Liana huffed and shook her head. "I'm saying you're inexperienced. At least when it comes to missions that are far more dangerous than Ovenderburg or England."

"I can handle it!"

"Stop being in such a rush to get into a situation where you may wind up dead!"

Rosa's eyes widened. She drew a couple slow, deep breaths. "That's it, isn't it? That's the real reason you stuck me and Jared with this bullcrap mission. You don't want me doing anything really dangerous because I'm your niece."

"If that were true, I wouldn't have let you or Jared into the Guild in the first place, or Jimmy and Artimus for that matter. But in times like these, our family has always answered the call to duty."

"Yeah, to fight. Not chase something that looks like an oversized garden gnome. I bet you don't hesitate when you send Uncle Irving or my mom and dad or Esteban or Oriana to do something for the Guild."

Aunt Liana's mouth compressed into a tight little line. Her gaze hardened. "You think I have no reservations about sending people, especially my family, into danger?" She spoke in a low tone, but with the sense she could erupt at any moment. "Do you think I don't worry that my oldest son and his wife may be killed, and leave little Rodolfo an orphan? Do you think I don't worry that I may lose my husband or my sister-in-law and her husband, like I did my father and brother in the last war? And forgive me if I have fears that this war may cost me my youngest son and a niece who's more like a daughter to me."

"Well, I can take care of myself. So you don't have to worry about me."

"Dammit, Rosa! Are you not listening to me? I can't help but worry about you! I may not be your mother, but -"

"That's right! You're not my mother! You're _only_ my aunt!"

A tremor went through Aunt Liana's body. She breathed audibly through her nose, each breath louder than the last. Rosa tensed, ready for more yelling.

Instead Aunt Liana headed out of the bedroom. "Good luck in England, Rosa. I'll see you when you get back."

Seconds later the slam of the front door rattled the entire apartment.

Rosa didn't move. She stared straight ahead at the bland white wall.

_Did I go too far?_

_No I didn't. What the hell does she expect? For me to stand here and let her treat me like a kid?_ She was seventeen, for Merlin's sake, and an auror-in-training. She wanted to do her part for the war effort, something important. Why the hell couldn't Aunt Liana see that?

_Well if she's pissed at me, tough!_

Rosa finished packing, the entire time fighting off tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

**XXXXX**

"What about our New Year's plans? You know we were going to spend it with my folks."

O'Bannon sighed, feeling the sting of Talia's words. He really had been looking forward to the New Year's get together with her family, especially since her parents liked him.

Unfortunately, the war crapped all over their plans.

"I know, hon. And I'm sorry. But this was the only time Artimus could arrange to have me meet with Canada's Department of Muggle Relations to look into setting up a hockey program for wizards there." He tried to keep from biting his lip, or looking away from his girlfriend as she stood in the middle of the living room with her arms folded. He hated lying to her like this, even though he knew he had a good reason. Well, sort of good. Like Rosa and Jared, he wasn't thrilled with this stupid mission. If the Guild wanted him to hunt down wild animals, why not something more likely to threaten people? Something ol' Hagrid back at Hogwarts would consider a "fun" lesson. As it stood, Chupacabra would probably bore the half-giant to sleep.

"I know you're really into your job, but Jimmy, it's only teaching Muggle sports to young witches and wizards. The way you are with having to get supplies at the last minute or sudden meetings with old teammates or people from the Wizarding-Muggle Relations Office, I mean . . . maybe you're getting carried away with all this."

"It's just . . ." O'Bannon cast his eyes away from Talia, not wanting to take in the look of hurt and anger on her beautiful face as he thought up another damn lie. "Look, I told you some of the crap I put up with at Salem for being a Muggle-born. There's a lot of ignorance out there about people like me. Ignorance that creates people like You-Know-Who and the friggin' Death Eaters. If I can do something, no matter how small, to combat that, then I gotta do it."

At least that statement contained elements of truth.

"And you have no idea how long you'll be gone?" asked Talia.

"It'll be a few days at most, I'm sure."

Talia's shoulders sagged. She lowered her head and stared at the floor.

O'Bannon sighed and dropped his backpack next to him. He walked over to Talia and gently grasped her shoulders. "I'm really sorry about this. But this is important to me."

"I thought I was important to you."

"Honey, you are. Look, when I get back, I'll make it up to you. I promise."

"Okay," she muttered, not looking at him.

O'Bannon put his thumb and index finger under Talia's chin and slowly turned her head to him. He leaned in and kissed her, long and deep. He hoped that would take away her disappointment.

But when he pulled his lips away from hers, he noticed Talia didn't have a hint of a smile.

Frowning, O'Bannon picked up his backpack with one hand and held Talia's hand with his other. They walked out of his apartment, Talia closing the door, and headed downstairs to the outside. Dozens of witches and wizards moved up and down the cobblestone street of Haypippil Square. The couple stopped near an old-fashioned street lamp, O'Bannon giving Talia's hand a gentle squeeze.

"So, you'll make sure Espo has enough food?" O'Bannon referred to his owl, whom he named after Boston Bruins great Phil Esposito.

"Yeah."

"And make sure you let him out of his cage to let him stretch his wings?"

"Yeah, I will."

He gave Talia a reassuring smile and kissed her again. "Love you."

"Yeah." She gave him a half-smile before turning around. She barely took three steps before she Apparated.

O'Bannon bit his lower lip, gazing at the spot where Talia had been mere moments ago. "I'm sorry," he said under his breath.

With a sigh, he gripped his backpack and Apparated.

The world went dark. Invisible forces pulled his body in a thousand different directions.

An instant later he found himself standing on a hill, chilly air surrounding him. Puffy white clouds hung over him. A sea of leafless trees stretched before him. A few feet away he spotted Artimus and his brother Hector, a rusted metal bucket lying at their feet. O'Bannon assumed that to be the port key, since they were usually disguised as discarded Muggle objects.

"Hey, guys," he nodded to the Rands.

"Hey, Jimmy," Artimus nodded back.

"Jimmy." Hector smiled, then canted his head. "Why the long face?"

O'Bannon groaned. "I didn't have the greatest of farewells with Talia. She's pissed that I'm missing New Year's with her folks to supposedly go to Canada."

"Sorry to hear that." Artimus frowned. "You think everything will be all right when you go back?"

"It should be. It usually works out. Crap, let's just drop it, okay?"

Artimus nodded sheepishly and cast his eyes to the ground.

A minute later two sharp cracks split the air. Rosa and Jared appeared out of nowhere, both wearing glum expressions. When O'Bannon, Artimus and Hector greeted the cousins, they mumbled an incoherent response.

"You guys okay?" asked O'Bannon.

Rosa grunted and walked past him toward the port key. He followed her with his eyes, then turned back to Jared. His friend shrugged.

"Rosa and my mom had it out last night. I mean, knock down, drag out."

O'Bannon's lips curled. They hadn't even touched the damn port key yet and already everybody was miserable. A ripple went through his stomach. Like most hockey players, he possessed a superstitious streak. He hoped the dour mood didn't represent an omen of things to come. He remembered all the difficulties of their last mission to England and had no desire go through that again.

O'Bannon and Jared trudged over to the port key, where Rosa waited quietly. Next to her Hector slapped Artimus on the shoulder.

"Ready to do this, little bro?"

Artimus straightened his back and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready."

Hector beamed and looked around at O'Bannon, Jared and Rosa. "And here my dad thought you were all a bad influence on Artimus. Heck, you turned my little brother into quite an adventurer."

"Come on, Hector." Artimus turned away, looking slightly embarrassed. "Chupacabra aren't the most dangerous creatures out there."

"Tell me about it," Rosa muttered.

Hector gave them a sympathetic sigh. "Yeah, I know you guys aren't thrilled with this mission. I wouldn't be either. But just remember, you're gonna be on You-Know-Who's home turf. So you need to be careful at all times, even if you are hunting some little pest. Got it?" His gaze shifted among each member of the quartet, landing finally on Artimus.

"Yeah," Art nodded. "I got it."

Hector smiled and slapped his brother on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself, Artimus. All of you."

A brief smile creased Artimus' lips. O'Bannon also smiled, grateful at least one person existed in the Rand family who didn't think Artimus was an abject failure. As long as he lived, he'd never forget Ulysses Rand's tirade following the Salem graduation ceremony, where he basically banished Art from the family for daring to work at the Office of Wizarding-Muggle Relations. Much as he hated to admit it, Mr. Rand's outburst was probably the best thing that could have happened to Artimus. He really needed to get out from under his overbearing father's thumb.

After Hector wished the rest of them good luck, the quartet squatted around the rusted bucket and put their hands on it.

The world around O'Bannon blurred. A howling wind filled his ears. He shot forward, like someone had strapped him to the nose of a jet fighter.

Suddenly it all stopped. He stood on solid ground again. He took a breath and looked around. Rosa, Jared and Artimus were present and accounted for. The bucket lay at their feet.

The soft roll and crash of waves caught O'Bannon's attention. He noticed they stood on a cliff overlooking the sea. A faint white line stretched across the horizon. Those had to be the famed White Cliffs of Dover.

"Looks like we're in the right place. Let's hide the port key and get going."

Using their wands, they lifted a nearby bush out of the ground, placed the port key in the hole, and covered it with the bush. After casting numerous wards and charms around the bush, they mounted their brooms and flew over the English Channel. O'Bannon had them fly close to the water, a tactic he learned from watching several Muggle war movies. Combat pilots usually flew low to avoid radar detection. He had no idea if that would work here, since magical wards and security charms were a lot better than radar. But he figured it couldn't hurt. Besides, they also had the stealth charms Rosa's and Jared's parents placed on their brooms. They should be able to get into England undetected.

_I hope._

They reached the White Cliffs of Dover less than a half-hour later.

"Wands out!" O'Bannon ordered as soon as he landed.

"Huh?" A quizzical look came over Artimus' face.

"I wanna be ready in case we set off a ward. Wands out!"

Rosa and Jared immediately obeyed. Artimus had to give another tug to get his wand out. They formed a circle, covering all points of the compass. O'Bannon's eyes swept the uneven green ground and the sea. He tensed, waiting for aurors or Death Eaters to suddenly appear.

An entire minute passed. He didn't hear any distinct cracks of people Disapparating, or the _whoosh_ of people on brooms. The rolling surf below produced the only noise around them.

"I think we're good," Jared finally said.

"Yeah." O'Bannon lowered his wand. He wondered if that bit of drama was really necessary. But after spending his year at Hogwarts with a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher like Professor Moody, or rather, the Death Eater impersonating him, and having the mantra of, "Constant vigilance!" pounded into his head, he figured better to be safe than sorry.

"Well," he turned to his friends. "No sense standing around here and admiring the scenery, as nice as it is. Next stop, Ottery St. Catchpole."

The quartet Apparated. The cliffs and sea were replaced by woods and rolling hills. From atop one of those hills, O'Bannon squinted and peered around the valley. They should be near . . .

That's when he saw it. A very crooked house several stories tall with multiple chimneys sticking out of its red roof. It had a rather rundown look, so much so he expected it to topple over any second.

Still the sight made him smile. He'd seen pictures of this place numerous times in Fred and George's room back at Hogwarts.

Before him stood the Burrow, the home of the Weasley family.

"Look over there." Jared pointed.

O'Bannon shifted his gaze to a small tree-lined paddock with some make shift Quidditch hoops. Five figures on brooms flew over the improvised pitch chucking balls back and forth to each other. Even from this distance, he could make out the blazing red hair on four of the five figures.

"C'mon!" Rosa blurted. "Let's go!"  
Eyes wide, O'Bannon turned to her. Rosa's sullen expression had vanished, replaced by a huge smile and an anxious flare in her eyes. He looked from her back to the figures over the Quidditch pitch and grinned. During their last visit to England, Rosa had grown rather fond of a certain member of the Weasley clan whose first name started with "G" and ended in "E."

"You heard the lady. Let's go."

O'Bannon bounded down the hill, followed by the others. His gait increased the closer he got to the Burrow. His disappointment over the bogus nature of this mission faded. How bad could this really be if he got to hang out with the Weasleys again? And Harry. He knew "The Boy Who Lived" always spent Christmas Break at the Burrow. He couldn't wait to see what new joke products the twins had concocted. Or hear from Harry, Ron and Ginny the happenings at Hogwarts. How was the rest of the old Triad hockey team doing? Who was teaching DADA now? Were Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures classes as dangerous as ever? Was Snape an even bigger asshole than before?

His heart beat faster as he stepped onto a dirt path leading to the Burrow. He spotted a small pond nearby. A huge smile stretched across his face. Along with some pick-up Quidditch games, maybe he could freeze the pond for a pick-up hockey game. Of course they'd need to get one more person to at least do four-on-four with the remaining two people playing goaltender. That would be . . .

An intense white flash burst in front of him. O'Bannon yelped and slapped a hand over his eyes. Multi-colored dots swirled in front of him. Pain drilled into his skull. More painful howls erupted around him. Rosa, Jared and Artimus. My God, were they okay?

He started blinking. The Burrow and the field surrounding it had become a huge blur.

_Wand! Wand!_

He frantically tore at his pocket to retrieve his wand.

A fluttering, buzzing sound penetrated his ears. Dizziness swam through his head. His legs trembled. O'Bannon barely felt himself fall to the ground.

Dark shadowy shapes appeared around him. He blinked repeatedly. The shapes slowly took form. They were people. That's the only thing he could tell about them. Their faces remained distorted.

He concentrated on the person standing in front of him, a big, round figure. It pointed something at him. O'Bannon tensed, knowing in this world, it could only be one thing.

A wand.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	5. Reconnecting

**CHAPTER 5: RECONNECTING**

**

* * *

**O'Bannon's vision slowly began to clear. He noticed specific details about the figure in front of him. Firstly, it was a man. A gnarled-looking man with a mane of dark gray hair. What stood out most had to be the large, artificial eye. Perfectly round and electric blue, it moved around non-stop.

He knew the man instantly.

"Professor Moody?"

The old auror canted his head and sneered. "Do I know you?"

O'Bannon swallowed. How could he forget? He never had the _real _Mad-Eye Moody as his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.

"Jimmy?"

He instantly recognized the new voice. It made his entire body tense, except for his heart. That sped up, fueled by memories of a very, _very _passionate night in the Room of Requirement.

He slowly turned his head to the right. A jolt of surprise shot through him, followed by a heavy air of concern.

The woman he stared at looked nothing like the one he'd held and kissed and made love to all those months ago. She possessed none of the vibrancy, none of the zest, he fondly remembered. And her hair! It wasn't spiky and pink or long and the color of a setting sun like it had been that memorable night. It just sat on her head, plain, brown and mousy.

"Tonks?"

"You know this boy?" Moody whipped his head toward Nymphadora Tonks.

"Yes. Jimmy O'Bannon. The American who was at Hogwarts while the Death Eater impersonating you was there. And these are his friends. Rosa Infante, Artimus Rand and Jared Diaz."

"You sure about that?" Moody's gazed returned to O'Bannon. The old wizard still kept his wand pointed at him.

Tonks lowered her head. Several seconds passed before she looked up again. "The morning after we slept together in the Transfiguration classroom, you asked if it was good for me. What was my reply?"

The veins in O'Bannon's neck tightened in embarrassment. He'd rather not say it in front of his friends and Mad-Eye Moody. But one look at the guy's wand convinced him he had no choice.

"You said I was okay for a first timer. Oh, and we did it in the Room of Requirement, not the Transfiguration class room."

A half-smile briefly flickered across Tonks' lips. "It's Jimmy O'Bannon, all right."

She then asked questions of Rosa, Jared and Artimus pulled from conversations they had during the two days they stayed at Tonks' parents' place while O'Bannon recovered from injuries suffered as a result of his mid-air collision with a squad of pursuing aurors. They answered all of them to Tonks' satisfaction.

"Well, it looks like you are who you say you are." Moody jerked his head forward.

O'Bannon turned around. Three wizards and a witch he didn't recognize headed over to them. Order members, he presumed.

A shadow fell across him. He looked up to find Tonks reaching down. He took the young auror's hand and let her help him to his feet.

"Good to see you again, Tonks." He gave her a hug. She returned it, though with less enthusiasm than he expected. O'Bannon didn't know if he should feel bad or glad about it. He did have a girlfriend, after all.

Once the others got helped to their feet, they all hurried over to greet Tonks.

"Are you okay?" asked Rosa.

"Yeah. Sure. Fine." Tonks' tone indicated she was anything but.

O'Bannon bit down on his lower lip and scanned Tonks' heart-shaped face. What could be wrong with her? He glanced at his friends and the Order members. As much as he wanted to find out what was troubling Tonks, he knew this wasn't the time or place for it.

"Say, what the hell was all that?" he asked. "One minute we're just walking along, the next it's like someone set off a flare right in front of me and there's this weird buzzing in my ears."

"Wards," Tonks replied flatly. "Given the fact Harry is staying here, and with this being the Order's new headquarters, we had to increase security around the Burrow."

O'Bannon closed his eyes and dipped his head back. _I can't believe I was so stupid. _With Voldemort and his Death Eaters running loose throughout the U.K., he should have known every wizard and witch would have strengthened the protective wards around their homes.

"What are you doing in England?" Moody demanded of him.

"The Guild of the Light sent us. Apparently You-Know-Who got his hands on a bunch of Chupacabra and plans to set them loose here."

"Chooba-what?" A bewildered expression came over Tonks' face.

"They're creatures native to the Americas. They like to suck the blood out of goats, sheep, any sort of farm animal that's around."

Moody grunted. "You're in luck. We actually have a meeting scheduled for seven tonight. You can tell us then."

"Okay." O'Bannon nodded. "Sounds go-"

"Everything all right here, Alastor?" A tall middle-aged man with red hair jogged up the dirt path toward them. A few paces behind him came a plump woman, also with red hair. Both had their wands drawn.

"Nothing to worry about. Just some Yanks I believe your children know."

Moody stepped aside. The red-headed man's eyes lit up in surprise. The woman audibly gasped.

"Hi, Mister Weasley. Mrs. Weasley." O'Bannon waved to them. He had met the twins' parents a few times during his year in England, including after the Triad/Slytherin hockey game and at Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters.

"Why Jimmy O'Bannon." Mr. Weasley pocketed his wand. "This certainly is a pleasant surprise." He grabbed both of O'Bannon's hands and shook them vigorously. Mrs. Weasley then wrapped him up in a crushing embrace. It wasn't unexpected. O'Bannon knew Mrs. Weasley was a big-time hugger.

He introduced the Weasleys to his friends while Moody, Tonks and the rest of their party Apparated away. The low voice of the other witch from the Order of the Phoenix filtered into his ears.

"Merlin's beard, Tonks. You and _him?_ That boy looks like he's barely out of school."

Tonks' only reply was the distinct crack of her Apparating.

"Now what brings you back to England?" asked Mrs. Weasley. "I have a feeling it's not for a friendly visit. Not in these times."

"You're right, unfortunately." O'Bannon told them about the Chupacabra, and how Mad-Eye Moody wanted him to make a presentation at the Order meeting tonight.

"Well, we have a couple hours until then, so come inside and join us for dinner." Mrs. Weasley waved them toward the Burrow.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley, but we don't want to impose," O'Bannon replied.

"Says you," he heard Jared mutter beside him. "I'm starving."

Rosa swatted him on the arm.

"Nonsense." Mrs. Weasley gave him a dismissive wave. "You're friends of Fred and George. You're not imposing on us by any means."

"But we didn't . . ."

"You're having dinner with us and that's final." Mrs. Weasley's tone indicated she would not tolerate further argument. And arguing against a home cooked meal was not generally in O'Bannon's nature.

"Well, if you insist. Thanks Mrs. Weasley. Mister Weasley."

"Oh, you're quite welcome. Now come along." Mrs. Weasley smiled and put a hand on O'Bannon's back, guiding him toward the Burrow.

As they started down the dirt path, Mr. Weasley sidled up to him. "You're timing couldn't be more perfect, Jimmy. I need someone with extensive knowledge of the Muggle world to help me with something. I've been curious to know about this writing implement called a _terp-ritter."_

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley whirled around. "The boy's only been here for a few minutes and already you're bombarding him with questions about Muggle things. Let him relax a bit before you start in on him."

O'Bannon couldn't help but chuckle silently as Mr. Weasley frowned.

"Now there's my idea of a welcoming committee." Jared grinned as he stared at the Burrow's front door.

O'Bannon took an anxious breath. Four boys and a girl stood around the small porch. Their expressions contained a mix of surprise and glee.

"I say, George, is that who I think it is?"

"I believe it is, Fred."

"You know, for a Yank he certainly spends an inordinate amount of time in Britain."

"Maybe he should change his citizenship."

"And live in the same country with you two muttonheads? Yeah, right." O'Bannon shot the twins a large, toothy grin.

Fred and George looked at one another, then at him. "Jimmy Boy!"

They rushed forward and jumped on him, slapping his back and rubbing his hair.

"Hey!" Rosa smacked George on the shoulder. "Don't the rest of us get a hello?"

George spun around, his face and eyes lighting up. "Oh, you get more than a hello, Miss Infante."

He scooped her up in a bearhug. Rosa beamed and hugged him back just as tightly.

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and his sister, Ginny, joined in the jubilant fray. O'Bannon's eyes widened for a second before he hugged Ginny. He couldn't believe how much she'd blossomed in the two years since he left Hogwarts. Her red hair had grown longer and she really started to, well, fill out. He couldn't remember noticing it when he'd been in England earlier in the year. Of course, he'd been drooling over Tonks at the time.

"So what are you doing in England again?" Harry asked O'Bannon as they walked to the front door.

"Guild business, just like last time."

"What's going on this -"

"Tut-tut. All in good time." Mrs. Weasley waved them to be silent. "Let's just enjoy dinner before we talk about more serious matters."

That suited O'Bannon fine. Besides, he found it hard to consider Chupacabra a "serious matter."

Harry opened the door. O'Bannon followed him inside. He barely had a chance to take in the couches and chairs and old clock in the living room when a throaty voice erupted from nowhere.

"Why eet iz zee famous Zshimmy O'Bannon."

He froze in his tracks. He barely felt Jared and Ron bump into him. His chest seized. Disbelief overwhelmed him.

_Mireet?_

A flash of long silvery hair engulfed his vision. He felt two light kisses on his cheek. He momentarily shook his head. That's when he took stock of the girl in front of him. Definitely not Mireet. She was a bit shorter, her hair silver instead of blond, but no less beautiful. Actually, the word beautiful didn't do her justice. She seemed flawless, glowing, almost angelic in her looks.

And O'Bannon knew her.

"Fleur? Fleur Delacour?"

"_Oui._ Eet 'as been a long time since we last saw one anozzer at 'Ogwarts."

"Um, yeah." O'Bannon merely blinked, still trying to absorb the fact the Beauxbatons champion from the Tri-Wizard Tournament was in the Weasleys' home, and talking to him like an old friend. He could only recall having a handful of conversations with her during their time at Hogwarts.

_Oh well, if she wants to be super friendly with me, I'm not gonna complain._

"What . . . what are you doing here?"

"Oh, you do not know?" Fleur stuck her hand in right in O'Bannon's face. A large diamond on one of her fingers glittered in his eyes.

"I am marrying Beel!" she squealed.

"Say what?" O'Bannon spun around to Fred and George. "She's marrying your brother? How did that happen?"

"Look at her mate," Fred chortled. "How do you think it happened?"

Out the corner of his eye, he noticed the expressions of the others. Ron looked forlorn. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley seemed like they wanted to tear apart the first thing they got their hands on. Jared and Artimus were in a stupor, their eyes and jaws wide open as they gawked at Fleur.

O'Bannon turned back to the young French woman. "Um, well, congratulations."

"_Merci."_ Again she kissed him on both cheeks.

"Yes, well, let's move along." Mrs. Weasley huffed and herded them further into the living room. "Supper will be on the table soon. Go get washed up."

They drifted toward the stairs, O'Bannon introducing Fleur to his three friends. She shook hands with Rosa, then gave Jared and Artimus kisses on both cheeks. The two looked close to fainting.

"We shoulda went to Beauxbatons, man," Jared said to Artimus in a dazed voice. "Why didn't we go to Beauxbatons?"

Artimus didn't answer. He just continued to gape at Fleur.

Ginny shook her head and grumbled something unintelligible. O'Bannon raised an eyebrow. _What's her problem?_

After everyone washed up they headed back downstairs. O'Bannon especially looked forward to supper. All throughout his year at Hogwarts, Fred and George kept going on about how their mother was, "No doubt about it, hands down, _the_ greatest cook in the world." He couldn't wait to see if she lived up to the hype.

She did! Mrs. Weasley served an absolutely delicious Yorkshire Pudding filled with roast beef and gravy, and crispy roasted potatoes on the side. For dessert, they had a gooseberry pie that made the quartet moan in pure delight.

Dinner also gave the Americans and Brits a chance to do a lot of catching up. It amazed O'Bannon how much had happened with his friends across the pond since he last saw them in March. Fred and George now ran a very successful joke shop in Diagon Alley. But even more impressive was the twins' story of how they escaped Umbridge's clutches by reclaiming their brooms and flying away from Hogwarts, leaving behind a portable swamp in one of the corridors.

"You guys are awesome," Rosa blurted.

"Thanks," the twins replied, though George tacked on the biggest smiles O'Bannon had ever seen.

Harry had been made captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, with Ginny as one of the Chasers and Ron as Keeper. Much to O'Bannon's delight, they kicked the living crap out of Slytherin in their first match of the season.

On the relationship front, Harry had broken up with Cho Chang, though Ginny did mention he had taken Luna Lovegood to a Christmas party thrown by Hogwarts' new potions teacher. O'Bannon did a double-take.

_Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood? I just can't see that one._

Ginny and Michael Corner also split up when he pitched a fit after Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw for the Quidditch Cup last year. O'Bannon groaned to himself. Good friend or not, the next time he ran into Corner he'd slap him upside the head for acting so stupid. Still, it appeared Ginny and Corner didn't need much time to get over their break-up. She had moved on to Dean Thomas – _kudos to you, Dean – _and he hooked up with, of all people, Cho Chang.

O'Bannon shook his head. It seemed Hogwarts had turned into one big soap opera.

_Yeah, like it wasn't when I was going there._

As for Ron, nobody mentioned whether he was involved with anyone or not. And Ron just kept his head down the entire time shoveling food into his mouth.

On a more serious, and disturbing, note, Katie Bell had wound up in St. Mungo's after touching a cursed necklace that put her in a coma.

"Is she gonna be all right?" O'Bannon's insides twisted with worry.

"Hopefully," Ginny said. "Last we heard she was conscious, but incoherent. Sounds like it's going to take a lot of work to get her completely healed."

"It's Malfoy's doing, I'm sure of it." Harry spoke through clenched teeth. "He's been up to something since the start of term."

O'Bannon made a fist under the table, clenching it so hard it shook. Katie had been a teammate on the Triad, and more importantly, a good friend. Now she lay in a hospital bed because of that ferrety little prick.

_You better pray you never come into my air space, Malfoy._ O'Bannon wouldn't even use his wand. It'd be more satisfying to pummel the rat bastard into a bloody pulp with his fists.

The mood lightened when Jared regaled everyone with tales of his expedition to the Mayan ruins in Mexico. Rosa talked about her auror training, which George listened to with rapt attention. Artimus' experiences with the U.S. Office of Wizarding-Muggle Relations and O'Bannon's Muggle sports programs at the YWWAAA prompted a flood of questions from Mr. Weasley.

"So how do they catch those _bis-bills_ with gloves . . . Do you know how those _comp-tooters _work . . . What about those rubber duck things? What do Muggles use them for?"

As soon as the table had been cleared, Order members began showing up. Professor Moody and Tonks arrived first, followed by a gaunt man in ragged clothing with brown hair liberally sprinkled with gray.

"Remus Lupin," he introduced himself to the quartet. "I've heard a great deal about you four. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

O'Bannon had also heard plenty about Lupin, too. Many of his Hogwarts friends called him the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher they ever had.

Next came a stout black man with a bald head. He turned out to be an auror named Kingsley Shacklebolt, who currently protected England's Muggle Prime Minister from magical threats.

A couple minutes after Kingsley's arrival, a tall man with long red hair and dragon tooth earrings walked into the kitchen. O'Bannon knew him to be . . .

"Beel!" Fleur squealed and launched herself at Bill Weasley, showering his face with kisses. Ginny turned away and faked vomiting. Mrs. Weasley started slamming cabinet doors shut.

"Lucky bastard," Jared muttered under his breath.

"Jimmy O'Bannon." The oldest Weasley child shook his hand. "Well this is a pleasant surprise."

"Good to see you again, man." O'Bannon had met Bill and the other Weasley brothers, Charlie and Percy, during the course of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He'd liked Bill and Charlie right off the bat. Both were cool guys with way cool jobs, Bill a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts Bank and Charlie a dragon handler. Percy, however, came off as a humorless workaholic who seemed perfectly content as a Ministry bureaucrat. O'Bannon never warmed up to him. Last he heard Percy had split from the rest of the Weasleys to support the Ministry of Magic over Harry last year when the former denied all reports of Voldemort's return, and tried to make the latter appear as a mentally disturbed attention-seeker. O'Bannon wondered if Percy finally reconciled with his family. No one had mentioned anything about it during dinner.

"By the way, congrats on getting engaged."

"Thanks."

"Eet ees wonderful, ees it not?" A beaming Fleur wrapped her arms around Bill's neck. "'Ow many ozzer women would, 'ow you zay, geev zer right arm to marry a wonderful man like my Beel? We are steel trying to decide where to 'ave zee wedding. Zere are several places in France zat would be ideal. After all, France ees a much more romantic country zan Britain . . ."

"I believe we should get this meeting started," Mrs. Weasley sharply cut off Fleur.

O'Bannon looked over his shoulder and noticed the twisted look on the woman's face. _Why do I get the feeling not everyone is happy with Bill's choice of fiancé?_

Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Rosa grimacing in Fleur's direction. Ginny slid next to her and whispered, "She's a bloody nightmare, I tell you."

Rosa responded with a slight nod.

After Harry, Ron, Ginny and Fleur had been ushered out of the kitchen, the quartet and the Order members sat around the table. Lupin started off with information about werewolves that had joined Voldemort's ranks and their plans to convert more people, especially children. Kingsley provided news on the latest "accidents" in the Muggle world likely perpetrated by Death Eaters. Tonks brought up the latest murders of wizards and witches.

Twenty minutes later, O'Bannon got his turn. He rose to his feet and informed them about Voldemort's followers smuggling Chupacabra into Britain.

"So what do these things look like?" asked Lupin.

"Oh, about three, four feet tall. Big black eyes, dark green scaly skin, curved spikes running down their back, sharp teeth and sharp claws."

"They sound rather nasty," Mrs. Weasley interjected.

"Only if you're a farm animal." Rosa sighed before continuing. "Their name is actually Spanish for 'goat sucker.' They drink the blood of goats, sheep, cows, any kind of livestock."

"What about people?" Moody asked.

"Attacks on people are rare, and almost never fatal," Rosa answered. "Chupacabra actually tend to avoid people."

"These things don't sound like much of a threat," Tonks noted.

O'Bannon stifled a grunt. He couldn't have agreed more with Tonks. Still he brought up Mrs. Diaz's concerns that if left unchecked, Chupacabra could wreak havoc on England's livestock industry.

"Maybe that's You-Know-Who's plan," said Mr. Weasley. "Try to cause a food shortage in both the Wizarding and Muggle Worlds."

"He'd need a lot of these Chupacabra to do that." Moody looked to O'Bannon. "Any idea how many of these things You-Know-Who's bunch brought over here?"

"No idea."

The lines of Moody's face deepened in a scowl. "I don't like this. There has to be something more going on with these creatures."

"Like what?" Jared scoffed. "It's not like he can make these things into warriors or anything. They're just pests."

"Then why would You-Know-Who be messing around with them?" Moody leaned forward, his large artificial eyeball darting amongst the members of the quartet. "If he wanted to disrupt the country's food supply, there are other, easier ways to go about it, rather than shipping in creatures from America."

"Well, we don't know." Annoyance crept into Rosa's voice. "We just know they're here and the Guild of the Light sent us here to help find them."

"So how do we find them?" asked Lupin. "More importantly, how do we protect livestock from them?"

"Well, they're burrowing creatures," O'Bannon stated. "That's how they're usually able to get past conventional wards. They just tunnel under them and pop up right in the middle of a farm."

"But wouldn't they still set off the wards?" Tonks queried.

"Not necessarily." Rosa shook her head. "Your average wards are cast to detect people or creatures possessing dark magic. Chupacabra aren't considered dark creatures."

"But they do kill livestock," Fred noted.

"So do wolves or coyotes, and they won't set off most wards unless they're cast specifically to detect them. The same is true for Chupacabra."

"They also run in packs," O'Bannon continued. "Usually between six to ten, so they can take out a bunch of farm animals in a matter of minutes. Vibration Wards can usually pick them up when they're digging. They also don't like bright light, so you can place a bunch of wards for that around stables or grazing land. Even a patronus charm will send them running."

"How do you kill them?" This from Kingsley.

"A simple Pest Elimination Potion." O'Bannon lips twisted momentarily. Like _any_ potion was "simple" for him. His ineptness in that subject had prevented him from being considered for auror training. "We can get all the ingredients for it at Diagon Alley. Then we can either spread it around farms and grazing land or dump it down their dens."

"Doesn't sound like it'll be too hard to get rid of these things," George smiled confidently.

"The hardest part will be finding these buggers," Moody grumbled. "They could be anywhere in this country."

Kingsley raised his hand. "I'll speak with the Muggle Prime Minister. If there are any reports of multiple livestock deaths, I'll see to it they're relayed to us."

"Good idea, Kingsley." Lupin nodded. "Still, we shouldn't just sit around and wait for these things to strike. We need to be proactive and search for them ourselves."

"There's a lot of farmland in this country, Remus." Moody looked to the former DADA teacher. "It'd take a long time to cover them all."

Lupin worked his jaw back and forth. "We can start with those wizarding families that deal in livestock. Perhaps check out the larger Muggle farms. They won't have wards set up, so Chupacabra would have an easier time getting into them."

Several seconds of silence passed before Moody grunted. "It's the best we can do for now. I still say there's more to this Chupacabra business."

O'Bannon rolled his eyes. Had Moody not been so intimidating, he would have told the old ex-auror to quit being so damned paranoid.

_They're only Chupacabra, after all._

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	6. A Second Chance

**CHAPTER 6: A SECOND CHANCE**

**

* * *

**

"Thank Merlin," Rosa Infante muttered under her breath when Moody adjourned the meeting. It was almost laughable how seriously the Order of the Phoenix took the Chupacabra. She tried to remind herself that the creature was not something native to Britain, so they really wouldn't know just how minor a threat it posed. Okay, the things may kill a few sheep and cows, but nowhere near the number to starve the country before her friends and the Brits hunted them down.

"Now that we're done," Mrs. Weasley got to her feet. "Fred, George. Go fetch Ron and Ginny. We need to set up extra bedding for our guests."

"Huh?" Jimmy shot the witch a quizzical look.

"Well, you lot are staying with us."

Surprise flared across Jimmy's face. "Oh Mrs. Weasley, come on. You're already overloaded with people here. We can find an inn -"

"Nonsense. You've come all the way from America to help us. The least we can do is put you up."

"But the Guild gave us money to -"

"Not another word." Mrs. Weasley's hand snapped up. "The four of you are staying here."

Jimmy wisely didn't protest further. Rosa couldn't blame him. While Mrs. Weasley could be all sweetness and hugs, she also possessed a very formidable personality. In the few hours she'd been at the Burrow, Rosa could see that this plump, middle-aged woman had the final say in everything that went on here. In a way, Mrs. Weasley reminded her a little of Aunt . . .

Rosa chewed on her lip and looked to the floor as she headed into the living room, recalling the argument she had with Aunt Liana before she left.

_I should have apologized to her._

_Why? She apparently doesn't think enough of me to give me a more important mission than friggin' pest control._

The sound of numerous footsteps clomping down the stairs broke her reverie. Ginny was the first one down, followed by Ron and Harry.

"Well then." The youngest Weasley strode up to her. "Looks like you'll be sharing my room. You and . . ." She leaned closer to her and whispered, "_Phlegm_."

Rosa crinkled her brow, wondering what Ginny meant by that. The redheaded girl then whipped her hair around and stuck her nose in the air. "Eet will be wonderful. We can talk about 'ow beautiful and perfect I am and 'ow all zee men 'ere worship me."

Ginny's impression of Fleur was dead on.

Rosa doubled over and laughed. Ginny joined in an instant later.

"I think we're gonna have a blast rooming together, Ginny." Rosa smiled at her. Somehow she doubted she'd be saying the same of Fleur Delacour.

"Here now. What's the idea of laughing when I'm not around?"

Tingles shot through Rosa's body. She felt a hitch in her breath. She turned to the left. Her vision filled with the grinning face of George Weasley.

"Speaking of people who think they're the center of the universe . . ." Ginny wrinkled her face at her brother.

"Oh, I see you'll be rooming with my oh-so-charming little sister." George shot Rosa an over-the-top frown. "Now I know you're tough enough to face aurors, security trolls and Malfoy's gang of idiots, so you should be able to last all of five minutes before Ginny annoys you to the point you'll want to throw yourself out the window. Or better yet, you can throw _her_ out the window."

Rosa clenched her teeth, trying to stifle a laugh. A snicker slipped through her lips.

"You're a git." Ginny scowled at George.

"Well, it could be worse." He rested a hand on Rosa's shoulder. She tensed as he went on. "You could have roomed with her when she was nine or ten. Then you'd be subjected to stories of how much she loved Harry Potter and how one day she'd marry him and live in a little cottage with kittens and puppies and . . ."

"Shut up, you arse!" Ginny belted her brother in the arm. George winced, then resumed laughing.

"George, stop teasing your sister!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed. "And Ginny, don't let me hear you use language like that!"

"Yes, Mum," Ginny grumbled, then stuck out her tongue at the smiling George Weasley.

Looking over George's shoulder, Rosa noticed Harry Potter watching the proceedings. His face turned bright red as his eyes flickered from Ginny to his shoes.

Her gaze returned to George. He just kept smiling, thank Merlin. She liked the way he smiled, how it made his face and eyes brighten, the sense of fun and mischief it radiated.

"Well, I guess I should exercise what little manners I have and show you to your room."

"Thanks." She smiled at George as he walked over to the wall near the front door where the quartet had left their backpacks.

"_I_ can show Rosa to my room, thank you very -"

"Come on, Ginners." Fred clutched the back of Ginny's sweater and pulled her away. "George can handle that. I need you to . . . um, help me get some blankets or something."

"Hey! Get off me, you great pillock!" Ginny kept struggling as Fred pulled her across the living room. Rosa noticed Fred give her a sly smile, then wink at his twin, who was coming over with her backpack.

"Follow me, and try not to lag behind. It's quite easy to get lost around Weasley Manor."

Rosa chuckled as she followed him toward the stairs. George looked over his shoulder, shooting her another one of those wonderful smiles of his. She breathed deep, her mind propelling her back several months to when she first met him. He'd possessed an air of instant likeability, as within minutes of their introduction he treated her like a friend he'd known for years. And Jimmy had been right about his sense of humor. Half the things that came out of his mouth had her rolling with laughter. But she soon learned there was more to George than his kindness and humor. He possessed daring. He was fearless, and loyal to a fault. She felt even if he hadn't been friends with Jimmy, George would help her anyway. Because that's the kind of guy he was. Decent, compassionate and brave.

Rosa's heart pounded against her chest. Her eyes roamed up and down George as they climbed the twisting staircase. She liked his build, lanky yet solid, his muscles no doubt developed during his years as a Beater for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And his hair. So red and long and wild. And Merlin's Beard, what an ass!

Never . . . never, never, never did she imagine she'd be back in England. Never did she expect to run into George Weasley again. She figured she'd only have the memories of their humorous conversations and fighting through the corridors of Hogwarts and that would be that. That, and a few regrets of what could have been, what should have been.

Now . . .

"Well, here we are." George pivoted to his left and went through a door. Rosa followed him inside and scanned the small room. A single bed with colorful sheets sat off to one side and a cot opposite from it. Several posters adorned the walls, most of them featuring the wizard rock group the Weird Sisters or famed Quidditch Beater Gwenog Jones.

"I hope you're really good at casting Ear Protection Charms," said George. "Ginny snores louder than a hacked off dragon."

Rosa shook her head. "Are you always so cruel when it comes to your sister?"

"Oh please. The stuff Fred and I do to Ginny is tame compared to what we do to Ron or The-Back-Stabbing-Brother-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. We have to be 'cause Ginny can do us some _real_ damage."

Rosa grinned, then lowered her eyes for a moment. She knew about Percy's estrangement from his family. Silent seconds passed as she debated whether or not to ask George if that situation had been resolved.

George never gave her the chance. "So do you have any brothers or sisters you like to torture?"

"Oh. Um, just Jared. Yeah, he's my cousin, but he's more like a brother than a cousin really."

"So no brothers or sisters of you own?"

She shook her head.

George blinked in disbelief. "Can't imagine what that's like. Blimey, how can you stand the quiet?"

"Oh, it's anything but quiet when Jared comes over to my house, or vice versa. Our families live less than a mile from each other, so we're all really close."

Rosa sighed, shifting her eyes to the wall. She and Aunt Liana certainly didn't act very close the other night.

"You okay, Rosa?"

"Hmm?" Her gaze snapped back to George. She tightened her lips when she noticed his look of concern. "Um, yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

She held her breath for a moment, trying to think of something else to say. The last thing she wanted to do was bring up the argument.

Her eyes came across something on Ginny's dresser, a sort of patchwork "tree" of connecting framed photographs stretching toward the ceiling. A wooden arch perched on the uppermost frame read "Hogwarts Memories." She walked over to it and examined the various pictures. One showed a rather young Ginny, probably in her First Year, standing by herself with Hogwarts castle in the background. Another had Ginny thrusting her arm toward the sky, gripping a Golden Snitch, while the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team celebrated around her. In another, she wore a very beautiful gown and stood next to – _What was that guy's name again? Oh yeah – _Neville Longbottom, who had on some smart-looking dress robes. Judging from the ice sculptures in the background and the stream of other well-dressed students around them, Rosa assumed the photograph was from that Yule Ball Jimmy went to with Mireet Miradeaux.

"I actually liked our version of that one better."

Rosa turned to find George next to her, pointing to the photograph. For a moment, her breathing ceased. They stood so close their shoulders nearly touched. Tingles went through her body.

"What . . . what do you mean?" She noted the quiver in her voice as she concentrated on George's mane of lush red hair, then his freckly complexion.

Then his lips, which formed an elfish grin.

"Fred and I took a prank quill and drew on the photograph."

"You didn't."

"Oh yes we did. We gave Ginny a mop of messy black hair and big glasses, then at the bottom we wrote, 'Mrs. Harry Potter.'"

"You guys are mean."

"Well you'll be happy to know we paid for our transgression. When Ginny saw what we did to the photograph, first she yelled, rather loudly I might add, then she started throwing things at us. Girl's got a good arm, too." George rubbed the back of his head. "No wonder Gryffindor made her a Chaser this year."

"Well looking at the picture now, I assume you got rid of all that."

"Of course. If we didn't, either Ginny would have killed us or Mum would. And Ginny would probably make us suffer before doing us in."

Rosa chuckled and scanned more photographs. Next to one of Ginny and Dean Thomas was a picture showing her in a hockey jersey standing next to Mireet. The photo above that had Ginny, Jimmy, George and Fred in their hockey gear smiling and waving for the camera.

"Looks like you guys really had a blast playing hockey when Jimmy was here."

"You bet," George replied enthusiastically. "Barring Quidditch it's one of the most fun games I ever played. Especially since we beat Malfoy's gang of snakes at it. Nothing like skating full speed at one of those wankers and crushing them against the boards."

Rosa smiled, remembering all of Jimmy's stories about that game. She then turned to George. "You know, I never got the chance to thank you."

"For what?" George's brow furrowed.

"For being Jimmy's friend when he was over here. I remember his first couple of letters from Hogwarts, how he said he hadn't made any friends, how he kept messing up and getting into trouble. Then, of course, that damn harpy Penny Nichols, his girlfriend back at Salem, she broke up with him via owl. I was worried he was going to have a miserable time there. It really meant a lot when you and Fred became friends with him."

"Well, after a while we started feeling bad for the guy. He seemed like an okay bloke. We felt we had to do something to break the ice with him."

Rosa grinned. "Yeah. He told me about that Sit-and-Scratch Chair of yours."

"Actually, for a time we thought Jimmy was gonna track us down and pound us into the ground for that. Thankfully, he can take a joke. Like when he ate one of our Snot-Rocket Specials at Harry's party after he completed the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Bogeys coming out his nose like a gusher. Splattered all over poor Alicia Spinnet. Merlin, she was furious. So was Jimmy, come to think of it. But he laughed it off later on."

Rosa chuckled, brushing against George's shoulder. It caused her to swallow her laugh.

"He's a good guy, Jimmy is." George nodded.

"Yeah, that he is." Rosa took a ragged breath and locked eyes with George. "So are you."

Time froze around them. They just stared at one another. Rosa noticed George's chest heave with each breath. She felt the overwhelming desire to lean in and meld with his body.

She parted her lips.

"George!"

They both flinched and spun around. Ginny stood in the doorway, grimacing a little in embarrassment.

"Er . . . Mum wants you to help look around for some more blankets for Jimmy and his friends."

"I'll be down in a minute."

"I think Mum wants you down now."

"I said in a minute, runt. Now bugger off."

"Fine." Ginny scrunched up her face at her brother before storming off.

"Ah, the joy of having a little sister," George snorted.

"Oh, give her a break. Ginny's all right."

"Yeah, I guess any fifteen-year-old who can handle a bunch of Death Eaters isn't all that bad."

Rosa shook her head in admiration. "I wish I could have been there to see that, or when you pulled your escape act on Umbridge."

"Yeah, I wish you could have been there, too."

Again, Rosa stared right into George's eyes. "You know, I've thought about that time at Hogwarts quite a bit over the past few months."

"Me too," George said in a soft voice.

Rosa drew a slow breath before continuing. "I didn't really give you a proper farewell, did I?"

"I don't know." George shrugged. "I don't mind being called 'sexy' by a girl before she jumps out a window."

"I actually had something more . . . personal in mind than shouting across a classroom. But, well, considering my nose was busted and I had blood all over my face . . . that wasn't the sort of memory I wanted to leave you with."

"I wouldn't have minded one bit. And from what I can see, there's no blood on your face, and your nose looks rather lovely. So does the rest of you for that matter."

Tremors raced up and down Rosa's legs. The shivering expanded to the rest of her body. Her stomach flipped end over end as George edged closer to her. She suddenly felt absorbed by his presence.

Rosa tilted her head back and to the left. George leaned in. Her eyelids lowered. Anticipation surged through her.

"GEORGE WEASLEY!"

They both jumped as Mrs. Weasley's voice thundered through the Burrow.

"I DON'T CARE HOW SUCCESSFUL A BUSINESSMAN YOU ARE! WHEN YOU'RE IN THIS HOUSE, AND I TELL YOU TO DO SOMETHING, YOU DO IT NOW! NOT AT YOUR CONVENIENCE!"

Rosa and George sighed at the same time. A deep frown etched in his face.

"Sorry, but I learned a long time ago that you don't argue with Mum when she's that mad."

"Yeah. No problem."

George gave her a sympathetic smile and walked past her. "I'll see you later, then."

"You better." Rosa smiled, folding her arms and swinging her torso back and forth.

With a parting grin, George left the bedroom.

Groaning loudly, Rosa stomped over to Ginny's bed and plopped down on it. "Dammit, dammit, dammit," she muttered. _Merlin, I was so close._

She tried to shake off her disappointment. She expected to be in England for a while, which meant plenty more opportunities to be with George.

She flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, grinning madly. There was now one very, _very _big upside to this otherwise lame-ass mission.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	7. Conspiracy Theories

**CHAPTER 7: CONSPIRACY THEORIES**

* * *

_Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland._

_Time Frame: December during "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."_

* * *

Jimmy O'Bannon's breaths emerged in small steamy clouds as he jogged across the rolling lawn in front of the castle. The bitter cold air forced its way through his blue sweatpants and New England Patriots sweatshirt. He'd bet most students wouldn't dream of setting foot outside, not with the frigid temperature and the sun barely up. But being born and bred in New England, O'Bannon embraced the cold, welcomed it. It energized him for the day ahead.

He veered toward the lake, thinking of today's classes. More manipulation spells with water in Charms. Countering magical stealth attacks in Defense Against The Darks Arts. Another creature that may kill or maim him in Care of Magical Creatures. Much as he liked Hagrid, he remained wary of anyone who considered dragons, Manticores and chimeras to be "misunderstood."

O'Bannon ran along the shore of the lake, then slowed his pace, eyeing the scene ahead.

Over a dozen students stood by a small thicket of trees. Even with their heavy jackets, he could tell most of them were girls. The majority grinned or chatted excitedly.

_What the heck are they doing?_

Another figure caught his attention, a thin young man with sallow-skin, a curved nose and thick eyebrows. The corner of O'Bannon's mouth twisted. Now he knew what drew out these girls into the cold morning air.

The Seeker of the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team. The Tri-Wizard Champion from Durmstrang. The one, the only, Viktor Krum.

Krum went through a calisthenics routine while the little knot of girls gawked or smiled. One of them even whistled.

O'Bannon grunted and kept jogging. He briefly nodded as he passed Krum, who gave a slight nod in return. O'Bannon looked over to the crowd of girls, hoping to catch a couple eyes. He may not be an international Quidditch star or a Tri-Wizard Champion, but he considered himself fairly handsome. Plus he was a hockey player. You couldn't get manlier than that.

None of that seemed to matter to the girls. They all stared past him and at Krum.

_Lucky bastard._ This guy could snap his fingers and take any girl at Hogwarts to the upcoming Yule Ball. He probably wasn't even sweating it. One of the advantages of fame, he guessed.

_Me on the other hand . . ._

O'Bannon sighed, expelling a long cloud of steamy breath. Why had he become so hesitant, so fearful, about it? He'd asked girls out before. Some of them had even said yes. But this girl . . .

He shook his head, wondering why the Sorting Hat chose him for Gryffindor. If he couldn't summon up the courage to ask out a hot girl . . .

_If you don't do it, you better believe someone else will._ The last thing he wanted to do was stand around at the Yule Ball kicking himself and wondering what might have been.

_Just do it, man. Just grow a pair, walk up to her and –_

"Good morning, Jimmy."

The silky French accent froze him in his tracks. He looked up. Both his mouth and eyes widened at the sight before him.

Mireet Miradeaux stood a few feet away in a silver one-piece bathing suit that looked like it had been painted on her. A swimming cap covered her head. She smiled as she grabbed a towel hanging from the branch of the tree next to her.

"Uhh . . . uhh . . ."

_Say "good morning," numbnuts._

"Uhh . . . mu-morning." His eyes swept over the curves of her body, then down her firm legs. Merlin's friggin' snowy white long-ass beard she had incredible legs!

"Uh, what . . . what are you doing?" He groaned at the stupid question. _What, the bathing suit and swim cap aren't dead giveaways, moron?_

"I swim every morning." She toweled herself down, still smiling at him. "I find it very invigorating."

"Isn't it a little cold for that?"

"I simply cast charms over part of the lake to warm the water to make it tolerable."

"Uh-huh." O'Bannon again scanned her legs. He then pressed his own legs together, hoping his sweatpants were loose enough to hide his . . . admiration for Mireet.

"So I guess you do not mind this cold." Mireet ran the towel down her left leg.

"Uhh . . . no, I'm cool with it. Typical New England weather for me. I mean, minus the snow."

"I see." She reached for her robes hanging from the branch and started putting them on.

O'Bannon watched in awestruck silence. How could anyone be this beautiful? More than beautiful. She was intoxicating.

_And you're thinking of asking _her_ to the Yule Ball?_

_Why not?_ He got along great with Mireet. She was nice and smart and didn't walk around with the haughty air as some of her Beauxbatons classmates. He knew they would have a great time at the ball. Maybe even beyond it.

_But what if someone already asked her and she said yes? What if she has a boyfriend back in France?_

"So, hockey practice is at four today?"

"Huh?" Mireet's question shook him out of his worried state of mind. "Oh. Um, yeah. Four o'clock."

"I'm looking forward to it. I believe things are looking quite well for us."

"Yeah. Me too."

They stared at each other for several seconds without a word.

"Well . . ." Mireet bit her lower lip for a moment. "I will see you at breakfast."

"Yeah. See you there."

Mireet gave him a smile and started to turn.

_Dude, ask her!_

"Uh, Mireet?"

"_Oui?" _She spun around to face him.

O'Bannon sucked down a long breath of cold air. "I was . . . would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Surprise flared across Mireet's face. She stared at him unblinking.

Every muscle in O'Bannon's body tensed. He imagined all sorts of responses.

_I'm sorry, Jimmy. Someone already asked me._

_I'm sorry, Jimmy. I just consider you a friend._

_I'm sorry, Jimmy. You're not in my league._

"I would love to go to the ball with you."

O'Bannon's heart went into overdrive. He couldn't breathe. _She said . . . Oh my God, she said yes._

_SHE SAID YES!!!_

"That's . . . that's, um, great." A huge smile broke out on his face.

"Thank you for asking me." Mireet strode over to him.

He drowned in elation as the French witch hugged him and kissed him gently on each cheek. O'Bannon hugged her back, still trying to accept his fact that the hottest witch in France was going to the Yule Ball with _him!_

_Wicked friggin' pissah!_

A loud ringing split the air. Mireet and the lake suddenly vanished. O'Bannon found himself lying on his stomach. He pushed up on his elbows and snapped his head in all directions. He spotted three other beds, each one occupied by a redheaded young man.

O'Bannon sighed and dropped his head back into the pillow. _Just a dream._ A memory really, from two years ago.

He shook his head. Two years and he still couldn't stop thinking about Mireet Miradeaux. What the friggin' hell was wrong with him? He had a girlfriend. He'd been with other women since Mireet. How could he dream about her? About that day?

_Fleur. It has to be her._ Having another witch from Beauxbatons here must have triggered something in his brain. He shouldn't read a whole lot into it. He had moved on with his life, and so undoubtedly had Mireet. She probably had a boyfriend back in France.

He grimaced at the thought.

"Oy!" Fred hollered. "Turn that bloody thing off!"

O'Bannon blinked. He realized the alarm clock on the nightstand still rang.

"George!"

"You turn it off, Fred. I'm too tired."

"Too tired to shut off a bloody clock? Next thing you know you'll want me to put on your socks and wipe your runny nose for you."

"Oh, could you? Because that requires much too much effort on my part."

"Git!"

"Wanker!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Bill jabbed his wand at the alarm clock. It instantly went silent.

"There! Was that so bloody difficult?"

"Actually, it was." Fred smiled at his oldest brother. "Thanks, Bill."

Bill shook his head and grumbled as he flung the covers off himself.

"So this is what it's like having brothers." O'Bannon rubbed his face and sat up. "What fun."

"Yes, and the fun never ends, Jimmy Boy." Fred grinned at him.

O'Bannon grunted at him and slowly slid out of his cot.

Half-an-hour later he tramped down the stairs with Fred, George and Bill and headed into the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had already sat down to eat, along with Lupin, Harry, Ron, Jared and Artimus. The four boys were in the middle of a rather animated discussion about Quidditch.

"You think your Chudley Cannons are bad, Ron?" Jared said. "You should check out the Chicago Celestials. They haven't won a championship in a hundred-forty years. They even have the longest losing streak in USQA history. Fifty-five in a row."

"Chudley lost sixty in a row in one stretch."

"Yeah, that's something to brag about." O'Bannon slapped Ron on the shoulder before taking a seat between Artimus and Bill. He looked up and down the table, which was covered with nearly every sort of breakfast food he could imagine. Heck, what Mrs. Weasley put out could rival any spread at Salem or Hogwarts. He grabbed everything within reach and dug in.

O'Bannon cleared off half his plate when the girls arrived. First Ginny, whose red hair looked wavier and bouncier than normal.

"What did you do to your hair?" Ron asked while chewing on a mouthful of bacon.

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley glared at him. "Swallow your food before you talk."

Ron frowned as Ginny answered. "Rosa helped do my hair."

"Rosa?" Jared shot Ginny a bewildered look. "My cousin Rosa?"

"Yes." She gave her hair a gentle pat. "Did a right good job of it, too."

Jared scrunched up his face and looked to O'Bannon and Artimus. "We may want to check and see if that really is Rosa. When the heck does she ever do anything that girly?"

"When you're not around, obviously." Ginny shot Jared a wry grin.

O'Bannon caught a glimpse of Harry. He sat frozen, except for his eyes, which followed Ginny as she walked round the table and took a seat across from Bill.

Before he could dwell on Harry's reaction, a throaty voice cut through the air.

"Eet is obvious you need 'elp weeth your Styling Charms. But do not worry. I can feex Zshinny's 'air."

Ginny scowled as Fleur Delacour entered the kitchen, with a tight-faced Rosa Infante next to her.

"Ginny's hair doesn't need fixing. It's fine."

"Eet could be zo much better. Zo can your 'air. Zere ees no vibrancy to eet."

"I like my hair fine the way it is, thank you very much." Rosa spoke through clenched teeth. An air of tension surrounded her. O'Bannon felt it took all of Rosa's self-control to keep from hexing Fleur.

Or just belting her.

Rosa loudly pulled out her chair and sat next to Ginny. Both girls exchanged exasperated looks as Fleur floated around the kitchen wishing everyone good morning. She slipped into the chair next to Bill and kissed him numerous times on the cheek. Ginny gripped her glass of pumpkin juice so tightly her hand shook. Rosa just rolled her eyes.

"Um, just for the record, Rosa. I think your hair looks marvelous." George waggled his eyebrows at her. Fleur turned to him, her face crinkling as if someone stuck a small turd under her nose.

Rosa's sour look instantly vanished. She aimed an appreciative grin George's way. "Thanks."

"What about my hair?" Ginny piped up.

"Eh. It's all right, I guess."

"Oh, go suck a dragon's -"

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley's head trembled with anger as she glared at her daughter.

"I was going to say, um . . . eggs. A dragon's eggs."

Mrs. Weasley didn't look convinced, but went back to eating her oatmeal.

Ginny sneered at her brother. Rosa turned her head and put a hand over her mouth, silently chuckling.

Much like dinner last night, breakfast at the Burrow was a very boisterous affair. At any given time three or four different conversations took place. Artimus listened in fascination to Bill's curse-breaking exploits working for Gringotts' Egyptian branch. Ginny, Ron and Jared debated who would win a game between the Portsmouth Contrails and the Atlanta Archers, the champions of their respective country's major Quidditch leagues. George and Rosa chatted away to the extent they ignored everyone else at the table. Harry gave O'Bannon a rundown of Professor Slughorn's Christmas party, with Fred providing his own brand of color commentary.

"Yeah, he meets Gwenog Jones there and doesn't even get her autograph . . . Didn't Luna give you a garlic necklace to keep that vampire Eldred Worple from biting you . . . speaking of Luna and biting, did she give you a little love bite after the party, Harry?"

"We just went as friends." Harry's words flew from his mouth.

Fred threw up his hands in surrender. O'Bannon, meanwhile, tried to visualize Harry and Luna as a couple. The idea proved too far-fetched for him.

Once they all finished eating, the lively and enjoyable conversations ceased. The time had come to get down to business, protecting the people of Britain from the terrifying threat of the Chupacabra.

Lupin stood at the head of the table and handed out their assignments. Mr. Weasley would check any reports at the Ministry pertaining to missing or dead farm animals. Fred and George would round up the necessary ingredients for a Pest Elimination Potion. Rosa volunteered to help the twins, but Lupin wanted her and Artimus to help him search the woods around some of the larger farmlands in Wizarding Britain for any sign of Chupacabra nests. She frowned at that.

As for O'Bannon, he got teamed with Bill and Jared to visit Wizarding residents living in more rural areas, warn them about the Chupacabra and help them set up wards against the pests.

Harry, Ron and Ginny also expressed a desire to help, but Mrs. Weasley would hear nothing of it.

"None of you are in the Order, so forget it . . . I don't care if this Chupacabra prefers goats to people, Ron. This is Order business, and Order business is inherently dangerous."

As everyone left the table, Ron nudged O'Bannon and whispered. "You'll tell me if anything exciting happens out there today, right?"

O'Bannon shrugged. "Ron, we're dealing with Chupacabra. Believe me, nothing exciting is gonna happen."

Mrs. Weasley gave everyone hugs and pecks on the cheeks before they headed out.

"Bye, George." Rosa gave him a small wave.

"I might be home late. So please, wait up for me."

With a parting grin, George stepped into the green flames of the fireplace with Fred and Flooed to Diagon Alley. Rosa stared at the fireplace for several seconds and let out a long sigh.

Fleur's farewell to Bill was less subtle. The former Tri-Wizard Champion leaped on her fiancé and showered his face with kisses.

"Take care my brave, brave Beel. I love you. Please be careful. I worry zo much when you . . ."

"All right, now. Bill has important work to do." Mrs. Weasley marched up to them. "Time for him to be on his way."

Reluctantly, Fleur released Bill. O'Bannon could hear Ginny grumble under her breath, "Somebody feed me to a dragon if I ever act like that with a guy."

He followed Bill and Jared outside, where they mounted their brooms.

"Where to first?" asked Jared.

"We'll start with the homes around here, then work our way north." Bill grinned as he gazed at the two Americans. "I'm sure you'll find our first visit, well, interesting."

**XXXXX**

"I just don't understand how you can deny it when the evidence is there for all to see. Chupacabra are obviously the result of cross-breeding long ago between vampires and reptoids."

O'Bannon closed his eyes, gripping his wand tight and resisting the urge to use a Reductor Curse on the owner of the voice. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and turned to the wizard next to him, a smiling, crossed-eyed, middle-aged man with stringy white hair that fell to his shoulders.

"Um, Mister Lovegood." He kept his voice as even as possible while addressing Xenophilius Lovegood, owner of the wizarding tabloid _The Quibbler._ "Your, um, _theory _on Chupacabra is . . . _fascinating. _But I really need to concentrate to set up these new wards around your house."

The last word made him glance at Mr. Lovegood's "house." It was actually a tall, black cylinder that reminded O'Bannon of a rook someone had removed from a chess board and enlarged to ridiculous proportions.

"Oh yes, yes. My apologies. Still, you must admit the Chupacabra have some features similar to vampires and reptoids. The lust for blood alone is proof enough of cross-breeding. And the fact that you Americans hunt them down like common pests . . . oh sorry, I should rephrase that. I believe most Americans are decent enough folk, but the policies of your Department of Magic in regards to the Chupacabra . . ."

"Daddy, please," a dreamy voice floated over them.

O'Bannon peered around Mr. Lovegood. A thin girl with large silvery eyes and long dirty blonde hair sauntered over to them.

"Jimmy is very busy right now," Luna Lovegood told her father. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to convince him of the true origins of the Chupacabra once he's done."

"Yes, you're right, my little moonbeam." Mr. Lovegood patted his daughter on the head. "My apologies, Mister O'Bannon. I'll let you get back to your work. But we'll talk later."

"Looking forward to it." O'Bannon forced the words out of his mouth as Mr. Lovegood strolled away, humming some made up tune.

_Jeez, no wonder Luna turned out the way she did._

He started to turn when he noticed Luna staring at him with those enormous, unblinking eyes of hers.

"Um . . . thanks for the save, Luna."

"You're quite welcome. My father does get carried away sometimes, but he means well. Chupacabra have been treated unfairly throughout North and South America."

"Uh-huh." O'Bannon raised his wand and prepared to cast another ward.

"Perhaps that's why You-Know-Who is using them. Maybe he promised them their lot in life would improve if he won. Perhaps he promised them they could take revenge on the wizards and witches who mistreated them over the centuries."

"Considering the average Chupacabra is about as smart as a hamster, I sincerely doubt You-Know-Who convinced them of anything."

"I wouldn't be too quick to judge, Jimmy. Studies have shown many creatures we thought to be, well, lacking intellect, actually have a much higher level of consciousness than we give them credit for. Dragons and reptoids are just a few examples." Luna turned her head and stared at the distant hills in silence.

O'Bannon sighed in relief. _Thank God she's done._ He whipped his wand around and chanted the proper incantations. After about five minutes he finished casting his assigned wards. He turned around and nearly bumped into Luna, who now stared at him.

"I've been thinking," she said.

The corners of his mouth twitched. _That's always dangerous._

"Higher consciousness or not, from what I've read about them, the Chupacabra aren't all that vicious toward people. So why would You-Know-Who go through the trouble of bringing them all the way from America to Britain?"

O'Bannon shrugged. "To kill farm animals. Frighten people. That's what Rosa's mom said."

"There are plenty of other animals native to Europe he could use for that, like skargorogs or lichwivs. And they are more prone to attack people than Chupacabra. So why would You-Know-Who use them?" Luna fell silent, looking like she'd just gone into a trance.

O'Bannon shifted from one foot to the other. Had she finished? Maybe he should –

"Unless there's a more sinister purpose for bringing these creatures to Britain. Oh well, it's something to think about."

With that, Luna turned and skipped away.

O'Bannon watched her depart, shaking his head. As if her father blathering on about his wacko theories on the origins of Chupacabra wasn't bad enough, now Luna had concocted a whole conspiracy theory around their presence in this country.

_A more sinister purpose? With Chupacabra? What sinister things can anyone do with Chupacabra?_

He groaned and started walking toward the other side of the house to see if Jared and Bill had finished casting their wards. Luna Lovegood. Yeah, she seemed nice enough, and certainly didn't deserve the crap jagoffs like Draco Malfoy dished out to her. But with all her kookball theories, from nargles to Cornelius Fudge baking goblins into pies, how could anyone take anything she said seriously? If Luna had been a Muggle, she'd probably run off to join those groups who believed the lunar landings were faked and President Kennedy was assassinated by some cabal made up of the CIA, FBI, mafia, Fidel Castro, Frank Sinatra, the New York Yankees and the Boy Scouts.

"_Unless there's a more sinister purpose for bringing these creatures to Britain."_

Luna's words niggled the back of his mind. He stopped and slapped his head a couple times. _Dude, this is Luna we're talking about here. You know, Miss Nargles-Are-Real._

Then he recalled the night he talked to her outside the Ravenclaw Common Room, when she helped him make peace with himself over that shameful incident back in Muggle elementary school when he bullied poor Timmy Warren. She said a lot of things back then that had made sense.

Why not now?

"Oh c'mon, O'Bannon," he muttered to himself. "Next thing you know you'll be wearing a puck around your neck to kept away wrackspurts."

He chuckled briefly and headed off to find Jared and Bill.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_Jimmy O'Bannon's references to Timmy Warren and hockey pucks warding off wrackspurts were mentioned in my fanfic "The Luna Effect." The reptoids were mentioned in my fanfic "Dark Horizon." I based these creatures on real-world reports of the lizard man that is alleged to inhabit the American States of North Carolina and South Carolina._


	8. The Badger's Shrine

**CHAPTER 8: THE BADGER'S SHRINE**

* * *

O'Bannon had mixed feelings on leaving the Lovegoods. On the one hand, he doubted they had very many visitors and probably would have appreciated some company. On the other, he could only take so much of their theories on Chupacabra. Especially Luna. Really, how sinister can you get with a Chupacabra? Yeah, if Voldemort had enough of them and released them in the right areas he could ruin Britain's livestock industry. That's what the Guild of the Light believed.

_But why not use a potion or a curse to do that?_

He flew over the rolling hills around Ottery St. Catchpole, wondering if there could be some other reason for Voldemort's crew bringing Chupacabra to this country. Or maybe this was just one operation of however many being carried out by the bad guys. A history buff, both wizarding and Muggle, O'Bannon knew most wars weren't simply one big battle, then another, then another. Both sides carried out numerous operations constantly. Some with major implications, others more psychological in nature. He remembered reading about a couple incidents during World War Two where Japanese submarines shelled the West Coast. Their attacks didn't inflict much damage, but it scared the crap out of a lot Americans and had them believing the Japanese would invade the U.S. He remembered one DADA class with the fake Moody, who told them, "Fear itself can be as powerful a weapon as any spell or curse."

That had to be it. Have the Chupacabra kill a bunch of cows and sheep and goats just to scare everyone more. Make them think twice about opposing Voldemort. Just one little cog in the evil bastard's grand scheme to rule the world.

That made more sense than Luna's "sinister" conspiracy.

"So what's your secret, man?"

The voice broke through O'Bannon's thoughts. He looked right and saw Jared flying next to Bill.

"C'mon, man," he urged the oldest Weasley son. "You gotta share."

"Share what? What secret?"

Jared rolled his head. "You're marrying a half-veela woman. That's, like, every guy's dream. You gotta give some advice to your fellow man on how to get a woman like that."

Bill groaned. "Fine. The best I can tell you is you just have to be yourself."

"Hey, Bill." O'Bannon chuckled. "I hate to tell you this, but being himself is the reason Jared is currently single."

"Get bent, man." Jared scowled at him, then turned back to Bill. "So that's it? C'mon, there's gotta be more to it. When you land a half-veela, you gotta know what you're doing when it comes to women."

"Dude, I swear to God," O'Bannon said. "If you start saying, 'wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more,' I'm gonna knock you off your friggin' broom."

Jared ignored him, looking expectantly at Bill.

"Look, you just don't want to put on any false airs. Women like honesty, and they can spot a fake like that." Bill snapped his fingers.

"No false airs. Be honest. Yeah, I can do that."

"Or at least fake it." O'Bannon grinned at his friend.

"Dude, screw you!"

O'Bannon laughed in response.

"Right, we're here." Bill sounded relieved as they approached another home.

O'Bannon noticed this house looked more normal than the Lovegoods' . . . at least normal by wizarding standards. It looked like someone had taken five typical English cottages, enlarged them and slapped them together. Behind the house, several sheep and goats grazed peacefully. This place definitely needed a bunch of anti-Chupacabra wards more so than the Lovegoods. He had seen just a few chickens and a goat around their property. This one, however, could be a Chupacabra buffet.

They landed on a dirt path leading up to the house.

"Let me go first," Bill stated. "The owners know my family, so I won't trigger any of the wards."

"Be my guest." O'Bannon had no desire to repeat his experience when he first arrived at the Burrow.

Bill walked up the path and to the front door. A few seconds after he knocked, it opened to reveal a tall thin man with a beard. The two shook hands, talked for a bit, then headed over to them.

As they approached, O'Bannon's brow crinkled. A spark of recognition ignited in his brain. The man looked much thinner and had more gray than brown covering his beard. His ruddy features had become a lot paler since the last time he saw him.

"Oh my God."

"What?" Jared turned to him.

"That guy's Cedric Diggory's dad."

"Cedric Diggory?" Jared's eyes widened. "The guy You-Know-Who killed at the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"

O'Bannon just nodded as Bill and Mr. Diggory walked up to them.

"Mister Diggory, these are some family friends of ours from America. Jimmy O'Bannon and Jared Diaz."

"Jimmy O'Bannon." The briefest of smiles flickered across Amos Diggory's face. "Yes, I remember your name. You put together that Muggle game at Hogwarts. Um, _hoe-key_, was it? Read about it in the _Prophet."_

"Um, yeah. That was me. Nice to meet you." He shook hands with Mr. Diggory, wondering if he should express some condolences for Cedric. It had been two years since his murder, and he feared bringing up his dead son's name might upset him.

Mr. Diggory invited them inside, where they met his wife Brianna, a thin witch with long fair hair and a rather sullen face. O'Bannon's eyes darted between the couple. From their appearance, he wondered if they had ever gotten over the death of their son.

_Can anyone ever get over something like that?_

His chest tightened as the image of Harry kneeling over Cedric's lifeless body formed in his mind's eye. Other memories from that night bombarded him. Mr. Diggory wailing and clutching his dead son. Cedric's girlfriend, Cho Chang, crying. Fred and George looking on, mouths agape. And O'Bannon himself, staring at the scene in utter disbelief. Cedric Diggory couldn't be dead. He'd just gone into the maze barely an hour before. There were safeguards for this Tri-Wizard Tournament to ensure no one would die. How could Cedric be dead?

"Jimmy."

"Huh?" He snapped his head in Bill's direction.

"I asked if you could tell the Diggorys more about the Chupacabra since they're native to your country."

"Oh. Um, yeah. Sure."

He ran down the main points regarding the pest, including the best wards against them. When he finished his lecture, he, Jared, Bill and Mr. Diggory went outside to cast the new wards.

"You okay, man?" Jared whispered to O'Bannon.

"Yeah. Why?"

"You just looked, I don't know, _zoomed_ out back there."

"You mean 'zoned out.' And no, I was just . . . thinking. I'm fine."

Jared didn't look convinced, but said nothing.

It took about fifteen minutes to set up the new wards. When they went back inside, Mrs. Diggory was waiting for them in the living room.

"Would you care for a spot of tea?" she asked in a flat voice.

"Yes. Thank you very much, Mrs. Diggory."

O'Bannon gave Bill a surprised look. They had a lot of work ahead of them today and he didn't think they had time for a tea break. But after all his time in Britain, he sort of got the feeling that refusing an offer of tea in someone's home was tantamount to dropping your drawers and taking a dump in the middle of their living room.

He nodded and thanked Mrs. Diggory. Jared looked at both him and Bill and just shrugged. "Um, okay. Sure. Thanks."

As Mrs. Diggory disappeared into the kitchen, Jared leaned over to O'Bannon and whispered, "You were right. The British really are into this whole tea thing."

The mention of a liquid refreshment made O'Bannon realize something.

"Um, Mister Diggory? Could I use your bathroom?"

"Of course. Up the stairs, third door to your left."

"Thanks."

He headed up the winding staircase, not for the first time wondering why wizards and witches preferred these twisty, curvy staircases to more conventional ones. The one at Jared's house twisted around so much O'Bannon sometimes feared it would give him vertigo.

He found the bathroom without any problem. After taking a whiz and washing up, he headed back into the hallway.

That's when something flickered in the corner of his eye.

He turned to the right, looking past the landing and into a small room. A circular stand containing numerous candles sat against wall. He must have missed it somehow when he came up the stairs.

Then he noticed a very familiar banner hanging above it. Yellow and black with a badger.

The banner of Hufflepuff House.

O'Bannon went into the room, his eyes on the stand. In the middle of the circle of candles sat a framed photo of a handsome, smiling boy with brown hair and gray eyes.

Cedric Diggory.

More photos adorned the wall around the Hufflepuff banner. All of Cedric. O'Bannon's gaze shifted from one photo to the next. Cedric in his Quidditch robes clutching his broom. Cedric holding up his golden egg after completing the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Cedric and Cho Chang together at the Yule Ball.

_It's like a shrine to him._

He lowered his head, staring at the photo surrounded by the candles. His shoulders sagged. Dark tendrils of shame coiled around his insides. He recalled how Headmaster Dumbledore described Cedric at the Leaving Feast. "A good and loyal friend . . . he valued fair play . . . a boy who was good and kind and brave."

O'Bannon sighed. He never considered Cedric Diggory being any of those things until Dumbledore mentioned them. Mostly he viewed Diggory as Harry's adversary in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. From the get-go, Diggory just seemed like one of those characters from some teenage comedy/drama, the spoiled rich boy with Hollywood looks, an exceptionally hot girlfriend and a cool car, and who treated everyone not in his social circle as pondscum. It was an image reinforced by comments from his fellow Gryffindors.

He closed his eyes and scowled, thinking back to the party in the Gryffindor Common Room after Harry completed the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Dean Thomas had drawn several banners for the occasion, including one that showed Cedric running around with his hair on fire. O'Bannon had stood under it and spoke in a very tacky British accent. "Oh no. My hair. I'm not pretty any more."

The Gryffindors burst out laughing.

Another incident came to mind. It occurred shortly after the Yule Ball. Though Harry was unaware, most of the Gryffindors knew he had the hots for Cho Chang. The fact Cedric, his rival, wound up taking her to the ball didn't sit well with the majority of the house. One night he, the twins and Lee Jordan sat around ripping on Diggory's manhood.

"Cho's bound to break up with him soon," said Lee. "There's no way she'll want a bloke who looks more feminine than her."

"Diggory probably knows more styling charms than most of the girls in Hufflepuff," Fred laughed.

"Makes me wonder if he wears perfume instead of cologne," George commented.

Then O'Bannon chimed in. "He probably pretties himself up to compensate for his _short_comings in the _wand _department, if you know what I mean."

The guys hooted. He went further, trying to mimic Cho's voice. "I'd love to _polish_ your _wand_, Cedric, my darling. But first I'll need a pair of tweezers and a magnifying glass."

They all howled and rolled on the floor.

Standing in front of Cedric's shrine, none of it seemed very funny.

Sighing and hanging his head, he began to turn away . . .

And saw Mr. Diggory standing in the doorway.

"Oh. Um, Mr. Diggory. Um, sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

"No, no." He held up a hand and walked toward him. "Quite all right. That's why we have this. So Ced . . . Cedric won't be forgotten."

O'Bannon stepped aside as Mr. Diggory approached the stand. His eyes locked on the photo. O'Bannon studied the man's face, noting the aura of sorrow, of longing.

"Did you know him?" Mr. Diggory turned to him. "When you were at Hogwarts?"

"No. I never got the chance to meet him."

Mr. Diggory frowned, his eyes falling to the floor. "He was a good boy. A wonderful boy. He would have been a success at anything he wanted to do. Working at the Ministry, opening his own business. Quidditch. The owner of the Tutshill Tornados actually contacted me about arranging a tryout for Cedric a month before he . . ." The wizard bit his lower lip.

The silence last nearly half-a-minute. After a deep breath, Mr. Diggory continued. "He was always helpful with Muggle-borns like yourself at Hogwarts. It didn't matter what house they were in. If he saw one of them have problems with assignments or finding their way around school, or anything else, he'd help them. I even remember him talking about the _hoe-key_ game you put on. He told me he hoped it showed a lot of witches and wizards that Muggles could come up with exciting games that didn't involve magic."

A lump formed in O'Bannon's throat. _I didn't know he thought that about the game._ He clenched his teeth and shifted his gaze away from Mr. Diggory. How could he have been so wrong about this man's son?

"I take it you don't have children yet," asked Mr. Diggory.

"No."

"If you don't mind my asking, are you involved with anyone?"

"Yeah." O'Bannon nodded. "A girl I work with back in The States." A dark, heavy weight pressed down on his insides. Talia's face hovered in his mind's eye. God, but he missed her.

"Is it serious?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Mr. Diggory responded with a barely perceptible nod. "Well, if you two ever have children, pray something like this doesn't happen. You . . . you never get over it."

O'Bannon had no idea what to say. He simply nodded. Again he looked at Mr. Diggory's face, the pain evident. It made him think of his own parents. Would they fall apart like the Diggorys if anything happened to him? He never told them about fighting Death Eaters in Ovenderburg or his mission to England earlier in the year. He could have been killed any number of times. Hell, just being in the Guild of the Light was dangerous enough. He'd seen the mortality rate of members of both the Guild and the Order of the Phoenix from the first war. It was not an occupation conducive to longevity.

How would Mom and Dad handle it if he died in a war they knew nothing about? Would they be standing at a similar shrine in their house years after the fact, unable to move on?

Could anyone move on after something like this?

O'Bannon's jaw stiffened. Guilt surged through his stomach. He couldn't bear the thought of causing his parents the sort of pain he saw in Mr. Diggory.

_But I can't stop fighting. If You-Know-Who wins, he'll try to wipe out the Muggles. Every Muggle. Including Mom and Dad. I have to do this for them._

Mr. Diggory turned back to the shrine, gazing at the photos hanging from the wall. O'Bannon quietly slipped out of the room.

A quarter of the way down the winding staircase, he stopped and looked back upstairs, recalling Mr. Diggory's words about Cedric, coupling them with Dumbledore's eulogy at the Leaving Feast.

An entire year at Hogwarts, and not once did he even say "hello" to Cedric Diggory when passing him in the corridors. Or show an ounce of good sportsmanship by congratulating him on his performance in the first two tasks. And why? All because of a bunch of stupid, preconceived notions he had about the guy.

O'Bannon closed his eyes and clenched a fist. Cedric Diggory wasn't the only person he'd thought of in a similar fashion.

What about Ron Weasley? He believed the guy spent so much time feeling sorry for himself he'd be a liability in any serious situation.

Neville Longbottom. The boy was afraid of his own shadow. Not the sort of person O'Bannon would want with him even in a well light alley in Cheyenne, Wyoming in the middle of the afternoon.

Luna Lovegood. An absolute crackpot. How could he take seriously a single word that came out of her mouth?

Yet all three of them were with Harry Potter when he fought the Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic. None of them turned tail. They stood their ground and fought as well as any auror.

Even before then, they had risked everything to help him and his friends warn the Order of the Phoenix about Voldemort's plan to bring in reinforcements from the U.S.

Still he doubted them, dismissed them.

Misjudged them.

He wanted to crawl under a rock and drown in his shame. How could he think those things? He'd always despised stereotypes. He never thought himself prejudice. Yet he practically looked down at people like Ron and Luna and Neville.

_Okay, but still I was never cruel to them or bullied them like Malfoy and his jagoffs._

That still didn't justify his attitude toward those three.

Or toward Cedric.

O'Bannon trudged down the stairs to find Mrs. Diggory, Jared and Bill sitting and drinking their tea. He accepted a cup and saucer from Mrs. Diggory, thanked her and sat in a cushioned chair next to Jared, remaining quiet while the rest of them chatted.

Mr. Diggory joined them a few minutes later. The conversation was subdued, mainly dealing with the Chupacabra and how much of a threat they posed. O'Bannon let Jared field most of the Diggorys' questions.

When the time came to leave, they shook hands with the Diggorys, who thanked them for setting up the new wards and wished them luck finding the Chupacabra. O'Bannon followed Bill and Jared toward the front door, but stopped before exiting. He stood still for a moment before whirling around.

"Mister Diggory."

"Yes?"

O'Bannon sucked on his lower lip for a moment. "I'm sorry I never got to know your son. He sounds like he would've been a good friend."

Slowly, a smile formed on Mr. Diggory's face. "Thank you, Jimmy. I appreciate that, really."

Mrs. Diggory moved alongside her husband and held his hand.

O'Bannon nodded and stepped through the door. He took a final look back at the Diggorys. He drew a long breath. Resolve flooded through him. He vowed, there and then, to do everything in his power to make sure as few families as possible experienced the same sort of suffering as the Diggorys.

**NEXT: ALONE AT LAST**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: **_Thanks to Ramzes, whose review sparked some ideas when it came to delving into some of Jimmy O'Bannon's attitude toward folks like Luna._

**AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: **_Jimmy's mention about Japanese submarines shelling the U.S. West Coast in WWII is based on real-life events. In fact, the Japanese had a couple other operations they carried out against the Continental United States. One involved using submarine-launched floatplanes to drop incendiary bombs to create large forest fires. Another involved floating "balloon bombs" from Japan to America. Those that did reach the U.S. came down in remote areas and only one actually killed anyone, the family of a minister having a picnic in the woods. All of these operations were more psychological in nature as none of them could have dealt any serious blow to the American war effort. On the flip side, the famed "Doolitte Raid" was also more psychological than strategic, having the dual role of boosting American moral at a time when the U.S. knew nothing but defeat in the Pacific Theater, and showing the Japanese that the home islands were not impervious to attack._


	9. Alone At Last

**CHAPTER 9: ALONE AT LAST**

* * *

Rosa groaned as she exited the bathroom and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Two days. Two days they had been looking for the stupid Chupacabra without success. Kingsley Shacklebolt thought he may have had a lead the other day when he learned from the Muggle government that a farmer in Winwick reported two of his sheep missing. She dismissed that immediately, since Chupacabra did not usually drag off their prey, instead leaving them where they found them. The sheep most likely just wandered off.

_I knew this would be a lame-ass mission._

Still, she admitted to herself, not everything about this mission sucked. She thoroughly enjoyed living at the Burrow. The constant activity here sometimes rivaled that of her old dormitory back at the Salem Witches Institute. Lively conversations marked both breakfast and dinner. For those not on night patrol for the Chupacabra, evenings consisted of listening to music on the Wizard Wireless or watching Fred and George demonstrate their latest products or Harry discussing Quidditch strategies. There were also games of Exploding Snap or Wizard's Chess, which Ron proved quite talented at playing. He had bested her twice with little trouble. He also had no trouble defeating Jimmy and Jared, who never had been very good at the game anyway. Even Artimus, the best chess player of the quartet, couldn't come close to Ron's level. What shocked Rosa most had been the fact Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, couldn't even beat Ron Weasley.

_He can vanquish the most evil dark wizard of all time, but can't win a game of chess?_

If anything, the more time she spent around Harry, the more her awe for him faded. She still admired the hell out of him for everything he'd done for the Wizarding World, but, like Jimmy said when he returned from Hogwarts, "When you get down to it, Harry Potter's just a regular kid."

Whenever she saw him playing chess or talking Quidditch or grousing about homework and teachers at Hogwarts, he reminded Rosa of any number of kids she had known at Salem instead of this legendary figure she'd grown up hearing stories about. It was actually nice to see one of the greatest heroes of the Wizarding World could be so down to earth.

Unfortunately, life at the Burrow did have a couple drawbacks.

One was trying to corner George Weasley alone for any length of time. She'd come close on a couple occasions. Once while passing each other in a hallway, they had five seconds to themselves before Mrs. Weasley suddenly appeared and dragged her away to see her husband, who had some questions regarding the Chupacabra.

_She could have at least waited until I kissed him._

The second opportunity occurred last night. George stopped by her room to say good-night. Ginny had been in the shower, so it was just the two of them alone, those gorgeous eyes and those lips of his beckoning her.

But before she could do anything, the second drawback to living at the Burrow popped up.

"Excuse me, but eet ees time for me to get ready for bed."

Fleur friggin' Delacour. The half-veela, half-snotty, superior, egomaniacal harpy practically pushed past them and shooed away George.

_Merlin's Beard, I had him. I had him right there._

There was no doubt in her mind. Sooner or later, she would kill Fleur Delacour. And she would be hailed a hero in this house for it. Well, at least by Ginny and her mother. The men, of course, couldn't stop drooling over her. Except for George . . . she hoped.

Rosa hadn't even reached the kitchen when she heard the cacophony of voices.

"So, Jimmy. Is it true the Muggles have _fellytones _they can actually fit in their pockets?" This from Mr. Weasley.

"I'm telling you, those Mexican Quidditch fans make ours look sedate." That was Jared.

"Considering how your father feels about Muggle-borns, it's a wonder you turned out the way you did." Ron no doubt had to be talking to Artimus.

"Morning, Rosa dear," Mrs. Weasley greeted her enthusiastically.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley." She took a seat next to Ginny. Almost immediately Mrs. Weasley was hovering over her, shoveling eggs, bacon and toast onto her plate. Rosa winced momentarily. She would have to carve out some time to go running, otherwise, given all the food Mrs. Weasley served, she'd swell to the size of a whale.

_Yeah. George would find that attractive._

"You missed it this morning." Ginny kept her voice low as she talked to her. "_Phlegm_'_s_ finally stopped going on about my hair."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

The skin around Ginny's nose crinkled. "Not if she found something else about me she doesn't like."

"What is it now?" Rosa took a small bite of her bacon.

"My shoes," Ginny hissed. "My bloody effing shoes of all things. She thinks they're too manly for me."

"What? Let me see." Rosa looked down as Ginny swung around in her seat and stuck out both feet. The redhead wore simple black flats.

"They look fine to me. What the heck's her problem?"

"She thinks I'd look more _ladylike," _Ginny stuck her nose in the air, trying to mimic Fleur's haughty expression, "if I wear the sort of shoes she does."

"Oh Merlin, those high-heeled boots of hers? I think whoever came up with the Cruciatus Curse also designed those things."

"I know. They look like they cut off all circulation to your feet. I don't see how she stands it. Course, if she wants to torture herself like that, let her." Ginny kept her voice low as she again spoke like Fleur. "Zometimes you must accept zome pain in order to look as beautiful as me."

Rosa convulsed with laughter. She smiled at Ginny and shook her head in amusement. More and more she grew to appreciate all the time she spent around Ginny. She loved Jared, Jimmy and Artimus to pieces. But every now and then she desired female companionship. The chance to talk about stuff she'd never dare bring up around the guys. Hair, shoes, clothes, make-up, styling charms, boyfriends, whether or not her ass looked fat. Ginny seemed to enjoy it as well. It didn't surprise Rosa. After all, the girl grew up in a house with six brothers. Anyone in Ginny's position would want an ally to try and hold back all that testosterone.

"C'mon, you give it a whirl." Ginny nodded to her.

"What're you talking about?"

"You know." Ginny thrust her nose in the air and wore a look of superiority.

Rosa smiled, knowing exactly what Ginny meant. She shook her hair, lifted her chin and closed her eyes halfway.

"Zees ees an outrage zat I am forced to share a room wees an immature little English girl and a barbaric American. I am zo beautiful and perfect zat I should 'ave an entire floor of zees 'ouse to myzelf."

Ginny nearly choked she laughed so hard. Rosa threw herself against the back of her chair, her laughter matching Ginny's.

"Uh-oh, Fred. We best watch ourselves."

"Quite right, George. Whenever two girls are laughing uncontrollably, it can't be good for the male of the species."

Rosa whipped her head around to see the twins enter the kitchen. She could tell which one was George right away. He wore a larger smile than Fred, and aimed it exclusively at her.

"Oh hooray," Ginny moaned. "You two are here."

"Good morning to you too, runt," George snapped playfully at his sister. He then switched to a much sweeter voice. "Good morning, Rosa."

"Morning." She beamed at him as he passed behind her chair. He gently patted her shoulder. She stopped breathing for a second. Her stomach fluttered.

"I hope Ginny's snoring didn't keep you up all night." Fred grinned and buttered a piece of toast.

"I don't snore, you pillock."

"I beg to differ." George held up his index finger. "And so do all the people living up in Hogsmeade. They must think a whole swarm of dragons is flying overhead."

The twins chuckled. Rosa just smiled to herself.

"Yeah." Ginny narrowed her eyes at George. "Well I'm surprised everyone sleeping in your room hasn't gagged to death on your wretched foot odor."

Fred nearly fell off his chair laughing. George's eyes widened in shock. He shifted his gaze to Rosa, who gave him a sympathetic smile. His eyes returned to Ginny in a stare that could kill as effectively as _Avada Kedavra._

"They'll be plenty of time later in the day to pick on one another," Mrs. Weasley snapped. "Now eat!"

The four of them went back to their breakfasts, shooting wry grins at each other. Again, George saved his biggest smile for her.

Her entire body quivered.

"Good morning."

Rosa groaned silently in response to the throaty voice that cut through the air.

Fleur Friggin' Delacour swept into the kitchen, followed by Bill.

"And the fun and frivolity comes to a crashing halt," Ginny grumbled.

Rosa nodded in agreement. She studied the men at the table. Jared, Artimus and Ron had the same forlorn expressions. Jimmy tried to be more subtle with his eye-humping, _tried _being the operative word.

_I'm sure Talia would love to hear about this._

Harry gazed at Fleur with a combination of shyness and admiration. Fred smiled and waved cheerfully to the snooty twit, and kept his eyes on her long after she returned his greeting.

So did George!

Anger lines etched into Rosa's face. She narrowed her eyes at Fleur, who settled into a chair next to Bill. When she looked back to George, she noticed his gaze was still on Fleur.

Rosa cleared her throat, loudly.

"Ah! 'Ow rude. Do zey not teach you proper table manners in America?"

She ignored the oh-so-offended Fleur, concentrating instead on George. He looked at her, winced, then switched all his focus to his food and started eating.

_Good boy._

Rosa returned to her own breakfast, but not five minutes had passed before Fleur Friggin' Delacour started bitching about, well, _everything._

"Zees sausage ees cold . . . Zees tea ees too sweet . . . I zink zere ees zome dirt on my fork."

Somehow, Mrs. Weasley restrained herself from tearing Fleur a new one. Still the woman's cheeks blazed red. Rosa rooted for her to whip out her wand and cast a Creeping Fungus Hex all over Fleur's oh-so-perfect face.

Once they finished eating, Lupin announced their assignments for the day.

"I'm afraid we'll be switching things around a bit. There were a couple werewolf attacks last night in Exmoor that I have to help Moody look into."

Rosa frowned. That's what she should be doing. Going after werewolves. Creatures that were actually dangerous to people.

She just folded her arms and gazed at the table as Lupin continued.

"Bill, you'll be taking Jimmy and Artimus up to the Yorkshire Wolds and North York Moors. There are quite a few wizarding families there that own a good number of cows and sheep and goats and the like. They need to be aware of the Chupacabra. Jared, I have a special assignment for you. Tonks has a few aurors we can trust who need a crash course in the Chupacabra. I want you to help her with that."

"You got it."

"Now, Kingsley came across a report from the Muggle authorities from last month. Apparently, a farmer outside Glastonbury reported seeing a 'creature' trying to get into his sheep pen. According to the, um, oh what do they call the Muggle version of aurors?"

"That would be _Plees-us,"_ said Mr. Weasley.

"Uh . . ." Jimmy held up a hand. "Actually, it's police."

"That's right. Police." Lupin nodded. "Anyway, the police made it clear in their report that the farmer, a Simon Heckton, has a tendency to claim all sorts of unusual occurrences at his farm. Everything from strange lights in the sky to large black cats prowling about to ghosts in his house."

"Sounds like the guy's a whackjob," Jimmy said.

"Perhaps. But it's not uncommon for Muggles to come across creatures and beings native to our world. Mostly their reports are dismissed by the vast majority of Muggles. Either way, it's worth looking into. So Fred, George and Rosa, you'll be checking out the Glastonbury area."

Rosa's head snapped up. She stared unblinking at Lupin, then looked down the table at George. He sat fully erect, with the brightest smile she'd ever seen.

_This mission just took a turn for the better._

**XXXXX**

As usual, Mrs. Weasley hugged everyone and begged them to be careful before they left the Burrow. Certainly a better farewell than she'd gotten from Aunt Liana before she left the States. And at least Mrs. Weasley, even though she possessed an endless well of worry for everyone under her roof, treated her like an adult.

_Aunt Liana could take some lessons from her._

She bit her lower lip as she headed for the door. Could she have handled that better? Or maybe Aunt Liana could have handled it better. After all, she was the one who couldn't appreciate what she'd done in Ovenderburg and during the Longathian Tunnel affair.

"Good luck, Rosa."

She turned back to find Ginny waggling her eyebrows, a wry grin on her face.

Rosa smiled back. She realized Ginny wasn't talking about finding Chupacabra. The youngest Weasley child knew all about her attraction to George. Thankfully, she had no issues with it.

"You're a hell of a lot cooler than that self-absorbed tart from across the Channel," Ginny had told her the other night. "I say go ahead and snog the living daylights out of George if you want."

_Oh yes. Rosa want._

"Oi! Infante!" George called from outside. He stood next to his twin, broom in hand. "Shake a leg! We're burning daylight here!"

She marched over to him. "Bark at me like that again and you're gonna have my leg crammed up your ass."

"Is that a promise?" He shot her a very cheeky grin.

Rosa chuckled as she mounted her broom and followed the twins into the air.

**XXXXX**

They searched around Glastonbury all morning and turned up, as the Muggles would say, jack squat. Rosa started to think Jimmy was right when he'd called Heckton a whackjob. She wondered if the strange lights and mysterious creatures the farmer saw originated from a bottle rather than real life.

They still had other farms to search, but Rosa doubted their luck would be any better.

"All right, you lot," Fred piped up. "I'm bloody starving. Time for lunch."

They landed on a small hill overlooking some woods. A white Muggle cottage could be seen in the distance. Fred found a rock and transfigured it into a simple blue blanket. He laid it out on the ground, then reached into a knapsack and pulled out some sandwiches and pumpkin juice. They ate and chatted away, at least Rosa and George did. Fred looked to be in a hurry to polish off his sandwiches. She left Fred to his lunch while she and George exchanged stories involving some of Jimmy O'Bannon's more humorous escapades.

"So Mireet's heading back to the Beauxbatons carriage, right?" George went on. "And Jimmy's walking backwards, watching her with one of those admiring, longing gazes . . . and falls right into this bush!"

Rosa threw her head back and laughed. It took a half-minute for her to regain her composure. "Well I can top that one. Our Fifth Year, we're learning Camouflage Charms. So Jimmy's trying to blend in with the wall of our classroom. But he mispronounces the incantation and next thing you know, he's standing there in nothing but his underwear!"

George fell on his side and howled.

"Well, I'm done." Fred brushed off his hands and stood. He scanned the two of them briefly. "Oh. You two take your time and finish eating. I'll just . . . check the perimeter. Make sure nothing's sneaking up on us, you know? That's likely to involve a thorough search. Might take a while. _A long while."_

Fred winked at his twin, who just smiled and nodded.

"Have a good time." With a parting grin, Fred hopped on his broom and shot into the sky.

Rosa cranked an eyebrow and watched Fred fade into the distance. She then turned to George. "Did you two guys plan this?"

"Rosa, I'm shocked. We're on a mission of vital importance for the Order of the Phoenix. Do you think that my dear brother and I would concoct this sort of scheme so I could be alone at last with you while the fate of England hangs in the balance?"

Rosa canted her head and sighed. "You're so full of crap."

George shrugged. "Maybe. But you have to admit. Here we are miles from civilization. No Ginny or Mum or Ron or anyone else to interrupt us."

"That's true." She slid closer to him on the blanket, her eyes locked on his. "And, no Fleur Delacour for you to ogle."

George's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. His jaw slowly worked back and forth. "Oh. Ahhh . . . well, um. Yes, you see . . . ummm . . ."

A wicked smile grew across Rosa's face as she watched George squirm.

Finally, he drew a breath, his face tightening in a mask of resolve. "Well, I have to admit. My brother's fiancé is . . . er, okay looking. But she can't compare to a daring, fearless, sexy, auror-in-training who doesn't hesitate to dive headlong into battle with trolls and Slytherin arseholes, and who, if I didn't mention it before, is also very damn sexy."

Rosa clenched her teeth, fighting down the hilarity bubbling inside her. She remained silent for several seconds. George winced, hopefulness radiating in his eyes.

She finally decided the poor guy suffered long enough. "Good answer."

George beamed at her. He covered her hand with his and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth across her skin. She quivered, her heart beating faster. George's face hovered inches from hers.

"You really are amazing, Rosa Infante," he said softly.

"So are you, George Weasley."

Anticipation overwhelmed her. Every pore in her body tingled. She closed her eyes and felt George's lips softly press against hers. The world around her vanished. Only George existed, his smell, his taste.

She had no idea how much time passed before he slowly pulled away. Rosa drew a ragged breath and opened her eyes.

"You know," George said. "I've had a lot of dreams over the past few months where I did that to you."

"Me too. And you know what?"

"What?"

"The real thing is better than any dream."

George smiled.

They kissed again. Their mouths gradually opened wider and wider. They slid their arms around one another. Rosa ran her fingers through George's hair. Merlin's beard, it was so thick and wild.

She moved away from George's lips and kissed his cheeks. George soon did the same, though he eventually made his way to her neck. Rosa shivered and clutched the back of George's head.

"Oh Merlin . . . I should've . . . come to Hogwarts . . . with Jimmy. We could've . . . done this . . . for a whole year."

"We'll just have to make up for lost time, then. Won't we?"

Rosa grinned and let George lower her onto the blanket. They continued their fierce kissing. She pressed her fingers into George's shoulders as he attacked her neck.

His right hand made its way down her side, stopping right around her waist.

_Please continue. Please continue._

"Yes," she whispered breathlessly. "Mm, George."

His hand continued its wonderful journey, brushing over her ass and starting down her leg. George moved his lips to just below her throat. Rosa moaned, drowning in euphoria. To think she actually complained about coming to England on a bullcrap mission.

_Thank you, God. Thank you, Merlin. Thank you, Guild of the Light. Thank you, Chupacabra. Thank you, George._

_Oh Geo-_

"Oi! You two! Break it up!"

Rosa's eyes snapped open. George pushed himself off her. It took her a second to recognize the voice.

Fred Weasley.

_What the hell!_

Her entire body shook, this time with anger instead of ecstasy. She looked at George through narrowed eyes. "You're about to have one less brother."

"Fine by me. I'll hold him while you curse him."

They both started to sit up, George glaring at his twin. "Fred, you great pillock! Can't you see I'm busy. What the bloody effing hell is so . . ."

Rosa's brow furrowed when George stopped in mid-sentence. She looked at him, then to Fred.

Her chest clenched.

For once, Fred wasn't smiling. In fact, his expression looked very . . . serious? A Weasley twin, serious? A cold hand wrapped around her stomach. Whatever could make Fred look like that could not be good.

"Sorry, you two. But you'd better get your brooms. You're going to want to see this."

Rosa and George fetched their brooms and took to the air, following Fred. They covered a couple miles before they came upon a field with dozens of grazing cattle.

"Over there." Fred pointed near the treeline as they began to descend.

Rosa leaned forward and squinted. She spotted three white and black lumps on the ground. Actually, she really couldn't say the other color was black. It was some dark color. The closer she got, she noticed the dark color also covered some of the ground around the shapes.

_Merlin's beard._

She hovered in place, her eyes locked on the three lumps she now knew to be cows.

Cows that had been torn to shreds.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	10. The Hunt Is On

**CHAPTER 10: THE HUNT IS ON**

* * *

_Good God._

Jimmy O'Bannon's stomach lurched as he approached the cows, or rather, the lumps of torn flesh that used to be cows. He grimaced as he studied the huge gashes in the side of the nearest one, its intestines spilt onto the ground. He swallowed over and over again, fighting back the nausea bubbling to the surface.

"Okay. No way a Chupacabra did that." Jared pointed to one of the mutilated cows.

O'Bannon halted and scanned the people surrounding the dead animals. The Weasley twins and Rosa stood to his left, and had been the first to discover the grisly scene. Shortly after, they summoned the rest of them here. Him, Jared, Artimus, Bill, Mr. Weasley, Lupin, Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody.

"You positive about that?" Moody grumbled, his fake electric blue eye expanding as it targeted Jared.

"Hell yeah, I'm sure. Chupacabra don't rip apart animals like this. They do it vampire-like. Bite, suck and run."

"So if it's not Chupacabra, then what is it?" asked Fred.

"Werewolf maybe?" Rosa glanced at the others.

Lupin's head slowly bobbed from side-to-side. "It's not uncommon for werewolves to go after livestock."

O'Bannon bit his lower lip. Could Rosa be right? Could it be a werewolf?

Icy tingles crept up his spine. He thought back to the Guild of the Light meeting and his disappointment at not being given a more serious mission.

Well, werewolves certainly made for a more serious mission.

Deadly serious.

"I want this entire area thoroughly searched," Moody ordered. "Tonks, with me. Fred, George, Infante. Check to the west. Bill, take O'Bannon and Rand and head east. Arthur, you, Lupin and Diaz look south."

They all mounted their brooms and took to the sky.

Artimus drifted close to O'Bannon, his chest noticeably rising and falling more rapid than normal. "J-Jimmy. You . . . you really think this could be a werewolf?"

"Maybe. Heck, for all we know it could be anything from an adolescent Welsh Green to a tiger that got loose from a private zoo."

Artimus silently nodded and stared at his broom handle. His shoulders visibly tensed up. "I bet it is a werewolf. You . . . you know how they like to rip apart people and animals."

"Well, if it is a werewolf, we'll do to it what we do to Death Eaters and dumbass aurors. We'll kick its ass." He slapped Artimus on the shoulder.

His friend nodded and gave him a brief, forced smile. O'Bannon sighed quietly. Artimus wasn't the best at trying to put on brave fronts. Then again, the air of confidence O'Bannon projected was also a brave front. Who the hell wouldn't be scared at the prospect of facing a werewolf? Not all of them acted like Remus Lupin, who made sure to isolate himself from other people on nights when he had to change. Some of them, like this Greyback psycho his British friends had talked about, relished putting themselves in a position to attack innocent people when they transformed. Stuff like that made it easy to understand why the Wizarding World had nothing but disdain for werewolves.

Unfortunately, people like Lupin paid the price for that fear and hatred.

O'Bannon scanned the hills and woods below him, though his thoughts turned more toward Lupin than finding any sign of a werewolf. He remembered several incidents back at Salem when his fellow students spewed absolute venom about werewolves. Some of it came from witches and wizards he considered more open-minded, like Gregory Lancemore, who told him all werewolves should be put on an island and promptly sunk. When O'Bannon had asked about those people who took precautions not to harm innocent people when they changed, Lancemore dismissed it with an uncharacteristic, "You're Muggle-born. You just don't understand."

No. What he didn't understand was why someone as cool as Remus Lupin should suffer for an affliction forced upon him. Many of O'Bannon's British friends told him Lupin was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher they ever had at Hogwarts. For most of them, that opinion didn't change when Lupin's lycanthropy became public knowledge.

Well, at least Rosa, Jared and Artimus didn't view Lupin as a monster. Of course, at times Artimus did keep a noticeable distance from the man.

_It could be worse. Lupin could be a Wendigo._

There O'Bannon's tolerance could only go so far. He found it hard to be sympathetic or accepting of a creature brought about by an act of cannibalism.

"Let's check those woods over there." Bill pointed to a sprawling thicket of leafless trees to their right.

The three landed by the treeline and drew their wands.

"Well, at least we know we won't run into any werewolves in the daylight." Forced confidence coursed through Artimus' voice.

"If it is a werewolf we're looking for," Bill stated.

That made Artimus swallow. Still, he followed O'Bannon and Bill into the woods.

They found nothing. No tracks, no obvious broken branches, no werewolf poop. No nothing! Of course, it wasn't like O'Bannon had been trained as a magical creature tracker. For all he knew, he may have walked right past a clue indicating the presence of a werewolf without realizing it.

_This is where we really need Jared's dad. _Irving Diaz commanded an elite unit in the U.S. Department of Magic called the Special Magical Creature Action Team, or SMACRAT. Surely he'd be able to locate any sign of –

A silvery light flashed in the corner of O'Bannon's vision. He whipped around, tightening his grip on his wand.

An ethereal jaguar stood a few feet away. He recognized it immediately.

Rosa's patronus.

"Guys!" It spoke with Rosa's voice. "You better get over here. We found something."

The jaguar patronus shot into the air. In its wake it left glowing arrows. Locator Charms.

He looked to Artimus and Bill. The eldest Weasley boy shrugged. "You heard the lady. Follow the patronus."

O'Bannon cast his own patronus message to let Rosa know they were on the way. A ghostly, silver bear leapt from his wand and streaked into the sky. Seconds later he, Artimus and Bill mounted their brooms and took off.

The Locator Charms led them to another stretch of woods roughly fifteen miles away. Tonks and Moody were already there. While Moody bent over and stared at the ground, Tonks glanced over his shoulder, a disinterested look plastered on her face.

O'Bannon jaw stiffened. More than anything he wanted to know what was bothering Tonks. He thought back to their night together in the Room of Requirement, how they moaned with delight when they kissed and nibbled and caressed and . . .

Now she didn't seem the least bit interested at seeing him. Sure, what had happened between them had been a spur of the moment fling. They both knew it could never become anything long-term. Still, even before they slept together a strong bond of friendship had developed between them. In a way, Tonks had been something of a mentor to him as much as she'd become a friend.

So why did his presence not elicit a spark of enthusiasm from her now?

Before he could ponder it further, Mr. Weasley, Lupin and Jared arrived. O'Bannon shoved his worries for Tonks aside. Now wasn't the time to bring them up anyway. Later, perhaps . . .

"So what's so damn important, cuz?" Jared sauntered over to Rosa.

"How about . . . that!" She thrust her finger toward the ground.

O'Bannon looked down. His eyes widened.

Four footprints stood out in the dirt. Definitely not human. Each one had three long thin toes and a triangular-shaped heel.

Lupin knelt down and studied the tracks. "They're not werewolf, that's for sure."

"Chupacabra?" Mr. Weasley turned to Rosa.

She shook her head. "They're way too big for a Chupacabra."

"These four tracks are the only ones you found?" Lupin looked up at Rosa and the twins.

"Yes, Professor," Fred nodded. "They just went along this little path, then . . . well, nothing. Like the thing just disappeared."

Lupin nodded and looked back at the tracks. He then stood up and pointed his wand at one of the footprints. Cracks formed in the ground around it. Seconds later a chunk of dirt lifted out of the ground and hovered in the air. With another wave of his wand, Lupin cast a transparent orange bubble around the chunk bearing the footprint.

"I'm going to get this to Hagrid, see if he has some idea what made it."

As Lupin guided the sample back to his broom, Jared sauntered over to Rosa and slapped her on the shoulder. "Well, cuz, I think your prayers have been answered. Looks like we have something a lot more dangerous than a Chupacabra to deal with."

"Yeah, it looks that way. Just one problem, though."

"What?"

Rosa drew a breath before answering. "I'd really like to know _exactly_ what we're facing before we run into it."

O'Bannon quietly nodded. He couldn't have agreed more with Rosa.

**XXXXX**

The combined Order of the Phoenix/Guild of the Light group searched the area the rest of the afternoon, but failed to turn up any other clues as to what killed the cows. They took a break as the sun started to go down, but planned to resume their search during the night.

When they returned to the Burrow for dinner, Harry, Ron and Ginny bombarded them with questions about their search, which led the three to speculate what sort of creature it might be.

"Too bad Hermione's not here," Ginny said. "She'd probably come up with the answer like that." She snapped her fingers.

For some reason, Ron lowered his head and silently contemplated his roast chicken. His shoulders sagged as he slowly rubbed his fork with his thumb and index finger.

Once again, Rosa and George conversed almost exclusively between themselves. O'Bannon couldn't help but notice the two sat so close their shoulders touched, not that either one seemed to mind. They continued to eat, talk, laugh and stare into each other's eyes.

The scene made him smile. One of his best friends from Salem and one of his best friends from Hogwarts had obviously fallen for each other. How cool was that? At least he knew George would treat Rosa right, unlike a couple other dipsticks she'd dated at school.

Dinner at the Burrow also included a new face. Tonks, though it took a bit of badgering by Mrs. Weasley to get her to stay. When Tonks finally relented, Mrs. Weasley made sure to seat her next to Bill.

"Mum's been trying to get Tonks to come round for supper for months," Fred whispered to him. "She's hoping Bill will take an interest in her and dump Fleur."

If that had been Mrs. Weasley's intention, it didn't seem to be working. Tonks barely talked to Bill, or anyone else, during dinner. Fleur, however, seemed to take offense at Tonks' presence so close to her fiancé, shooting several distasteful looks at her. Then again, Fleur seemed to take offense at _everything. _O'Bannon picked up a few of her indignant mutterings to Bill.

"Will you ever be able to convince your muz'air zat you cannot 'ave a proper dinner weezout wine?"

"'Ow can we enjoy dinner weez your bruz'air Zheorge and zat American girl laughing like 'yeanas?"

O'Bannon rolled his eyes. He started to question Bill's judgment for wanting to marry this woman. Sure Fleur Delacour could put any _Playboy_ centerfold to shame, but from a personality standpoint she seemed way too high maintenance. At best, she'd make a hell of a one night stand, the kind that resulted in twisted, sweat-soaked sheets, overturned furniture, scratches all over your back and an inability to walk for at least twenty-four hours. But marriage? How the hell could anyone put up with all that piss-moaning and self-importance for any length of time before putting their wand to their head and screaming, _"Avada Kedavra!"_

Thank God Mireet Miradeaux hadn't been like that. Her beauty rivaled Fleur's, but more importantly, she was smart, friendly, caring, strong, and most definitely not a snob. She was the kind of witch you could easily spend the rest of your life with.

All of O'Bannon's muscles clenched. He stared at his water glass. _Dude, what the hell are you thinking?_

He closed his eyes, forcing an image of Talia to appear. She was his girlfriend now. Mireet . . . that all happened two years ago. An ocean separated them now.

Why couldn't he keep the past in the past?

He then glanced down the table at Tonks, who picked at her food.

O'Bannon frowned. His heart sank as he studied her, trying to imagine her with spiky pink hair and a vibrant expression instead of her long face and mousy brown hair. He recalled some of Tonks' more sarcastic comments, laughing inwardly. Then he remembered the woods outside Hogsmeade when they'd made their escape from Hogwarts. He'd been a bloody and broken mess after crashing on his broom. He'd been on the verge of unconsciousness as aurors closed in on him. But at the last second, Tonks swooped in and saved his ass.

_She helped me. Time I returned the favor._

After dinner, Lupin split them into four-person teams that would search the Glastonbury area in three-hour shifts. O'Bannon's group, which consisted of Tonks, Bill and Jared, drew the first patrol. He smiled at that. Hopefully it would give him the chance to talk to Tonks one-on-one.

He didn't get the chance during their three-hour stint in Glastonbury. Everyone, himself included, had been too occupied trying to find any sign of whatever creature attacked the cows. But their three hours of searching turned up squat.

They returned to the Burrow a little after 10:30 and gave their rather uneventful report to the others.

"Right then. You lot get to bed," Moody told O'Bannon's group. "Looks like we're going to have a busy next few days ahead of us. We're going to need as much rest as possible."

"Sounds good to me." Tonks put a hand over her mouth and yawned. "I'll see you tomorrow." She started across the living room toward the front door.

"I'll walk you out." O'Bannon strode over to her.

Tonks halted and stared at him. She offered him a weak smile, then continued on with him by her side. He held the door open for her. As soon as she was through, he followed, shutting the door behind him.

O'Bannon worked his jaw back and forth as they walked down the dirt path toward the Apparation point. What would be the best approach? Some casual small talk before asking what was bothering her, or the direct approach?

Tonks, to his surprise, spoke first. "I feel sort of bad, Jimmy."

"Huh?"

She glanced over her shoulder at him, slowing her pace so he could catch up. "You've been here for a few days now, and I've hardly said more than five words to you. I mean, everything's been so busy with this Chupacabra business, and now the cows today. Still, that's no excuse. Not after everything we've been through."

"It's okay." He maneuvered in front of her, forcing her to stop. "So, how's everything with you?"

"Oh, all right."

"Bullcrap." O'Bannon folded his arms. He tried to look into Tonks' eyes, which proved difficult since she now stared at her shoes. "You've been down-right depressed ever since I got here. Something's bothering you. What is it?"

Tonks let out a sigh and turned her head from side-to-side. "Um, it's . . . Look, it's just something I need to deal with. Don't worry about it."

"Too late. I am worried."

"Don't be, then. It's nothing you can help with."

"How about letting me try before you decide that?"

Tonks didn't answer. Her shoulders sagged as she returned her gaze to the ground.

"Tonks." O'Bannon gently grasped her shoulder. "You've given me more swift kicks in the ass than I can count. So now I'm gonna return the favor. So enough with the whole stiff upper lip crap and talk to me, friend-to-friend. What's bothering you?"

She sighed again, though this time she met his gaze. She bit her lip for a moment, then spoke. "You know about the battle at the Ministry of Magic back in June."

"Course I do."

"Then you know how Harry's godfather, Sirius, was killed fighting Death Eaters."

O'Bannon nodded.

Tonks continued. "I . . . I was battling Bellatrix Lestrange. My mum's sister, believe it or not. Utterly psychotic. One of You-Know-Who's most devoted followers. I was holding my own against her and was just about to hit her with a Deboning Curse when I tripped on a loose stone. My _dear_ Aunt Bella cast a Redactor Curse. Struck just a few meters away from me. I went tumbling down the steps, pretty much out of it. By the time I regained my senses, Bellatrix . . ." She drew a deep breath. Her jaw trembled. "She'd already killed Sirius."

A tremor racked her body. "If I hadn't been my usual damn clumsy self, if I'd hit her with that curse, Sir . . . Sirius would be alive and . . . and . . ."

She lowered her head and sniffled.

O'Bannon pulled her into a hug. He gently stroked her hair while she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Tonks, you did your best. You couldn't have known that would have happened."

"It doesn't matter. Sirius depended on me. They all did. I let them all down."

O'Bannon tightened his hold around Tonks. His brain froze. He had no idea what to say. Tonks had always been so strong, so confident. To see her like this, filled with so much guilt and self-doubt, it totally threw him.

_Dammit, say something. Anything._

_Help her!_

"Um . . . look, I really don't think Mister Lupin and Professor Moody and the others think you let them all down. I mean, you're here, aren't you? You're still helping the Order?"

Tonks pulled away from him. The moonlight reflected off her tear-filled eyes.

"You know, regardless of what you think of yourself, I'd still want you by my side if I was ever in a really bad scrape."

"You sure about that?"

"Damn sure. Outside of Rosa, you're the only woman I know who could kick my ass in a fight."

Tonks coughed out a laugh. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"Ugh . . . um, uh . . . sorry about all that," she muttered, looking away.

O'Bannon gave her a sympathetic smile. Just like Rosa, Tonks was the kind of woman who despised crying.

She looked back at him with a half-hearted smile. "Thank you, Jimmy."

"Anytime."

Tonks drew a couple deep breaths and rolled her shoulders. "So, um, like I said. We really haven't had a chance to catch up since you got here. How's life in the States?"

O'Bannon cranked an eyebrow. He wondered if any of his feeble words of comfort sank in to Tonks, or if she just decided she didn't want to deal with her guilt over Sirius' death for the time being.

Either way, he played along. "Things are pretty good. I'm working for the Young Wizards and Witches Athletics and Activities Association. I put together Muggle games for kids to play."

"I thought you wanted to become an auror."

"Yeah, I wanted to. But I mucked up the Potions part of my NEWKs." O'Bannon referred to the National Examination on Wizarding Knowledge. "That put the kibosh on that dream."

"Sorry to hear that."

O'Bannon shrugged. "Yeah, well, what can you do?"

Tonks' lips twisted in thought. "So, um, how goes the love life?"

The veins in O'Bannon's neck stuck out. Part of him hesitated answering that question, especially when memories of their night in the Room of Requirement flooded his mind.

_C'mon, man. We both knew it was just a one-night thing._

"I'm seeing this girl I work with. Talia's her name. Actually, her uncle used to be the U.S. Ambassador to Wizarding England."

"Really?"

"Yup."

Tonks forced a smile. "Well, I hope this Talia appreciates the fact she snagged herself a rather wonderful man."

"I'd like to think she does." He grinned back at her. "So what about you? You dating anyone?"

"Nope. Still single. But, well, there is . . . somebody. Problem is, he's too thick to realize how I feel about him."

"Well, I'm sure you can blast your way through any thickness and make him open his eyes."

"Yes, one would hope." She gave him a weak smile.

O'Bannon chewed on the inside of his cheek. "So, um, who is this guy you like, or would you rather not say?"  
Tonks stayed silent for several moments, contemplating something on the darkened ground. "I don't know. I really haven't told anyone else. Sometimes I wonder if I'm -"

"Tonks?"

O'Bannon jerked in response to the new voice. He looked past Tonks, who'd spun around.

Lupin ambled over to them, broom in hand. Behind him came Rosa and the Weasley twins, obviously on their way to take over search duties in Glastonbury.

"I thought you'd gone home already," Lupin said to her. "Everything all right?"

Tonks responded with a grunt. A moment later a sharp crack split the air and she was gone.

Lupin blinked at the spot where Tonks had just Apparated. He bit his lip, looked to O'Bannon, then back to where Tonks had stood moments before.

"Yes, well . . ." Frowning, Lupin walked past him and mounted his broom. O'Bannon watched as the former DADA teacher and his three friends soared into the night sky.

His brow furrowed as he stared at the darkness that had swallowed the four. He turned back to where Tonks had Apparated, then stared back into the black, starry sky, thinking of Lupin's reaction.

Tonks hadn't said a word to the guy before she left. And Lupin sort of looked bummed out by the fact.

_Wait a minute._

He replayed the scene in his head. Lupin had appeared before Tonks told him the name of the guy she had the hots for. And the way they reacted to one another . . .

Could Tonks be . . .?

Could Lupin be . . .?

O'Bannon scrunched his face. "Nah!"

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: **_2/16/09: My apologies for the long delay in getting the latest installment of "Midnight's Blood" posted. I was forced into a mini-hiatus from writing due to a very nasty cold that turned into a case of bronchitis. This illness kicked my ass for about two weeks and it was just a couple days ago that I began to feel like my old self. Dealing with a fever, persistent cough, fatigue and all the other crap that comes with this sort of illness is not conducive to being creative. Even though I'm not back to 100 percent health, I'm close enough to it that my creativity has returned, so look out! I'm diving back into writing with a vengeance. Oh, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter._

**AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: **_Jimmy O'Bannon's patronus. Why did I choose a bear? Well, who's Jimmy's favorite hockey team. The Boston Bruins. And what's a bruin but another name for a bear. What can I say? Jimmy, like me, loves his sports._


	11. Warning Bells

**CHAPTER 11: WARNING BELLS**

_Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Time frame: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the night of the Yule Ball_

* * *

"You know, you keep that up, your robes are going to be absolutely soaked."

O'Bannon looked over his shoulder as he descended the steps from Gryffindor Tower. The source of the statement, Katie Bell, gave him a sympathetic smile and reached under her flowing green gown for her wand.

"Here. Let me see your hands," she ordered.

"Um, okay." He stopped near the bottom of the steps. So did the rest of the group; Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson, George Weasley and Alicia Spinnet, and Lee Jordan.

O'Bannon winced as he saw sweat glistening on his palms. They'd been sweating for the last hour.

Katie waved her wand and uttered a quick incantation. Instantly his palms felt dry. O'Bannon held his hands in front of his face, studying them with wide eyes. "Whoa."

"Just a handy little charm Alicia taught me. Rather useful on first dates." Katie waggled her thin eyebrows at him.

"Thanks. You rock, Bell."

"My pleasure."

With a smile, O'Bannon resumed his pace, relieved that his palms no longer sweat.

He then wondered if Katie knew any charms to get rid of the butterflies that battered his stomach.

_Oh God, please don't let me puke._

He gazed at the stone floor beneath him as he and his friends made their way through the corridors. The Brits chatted excitedly around him, but he pretty much ignored them. He could only concentrate on one thing.

Mireet Miradeaux. Specifically, his date with Mireet Miradeaux.

His heart slammed into his chest. The butterflies threatened to burst through his stomach.

A cacophony of voices filled the corridors as they neared the entrance hall. Students from the other Hogwarts houses, along with those from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang contingents, filed toward the closed doors of the Great Hall. Most of the boys sported dark dress robes while the girls wore gowns of various designs and colors. He did a double-take when he came across Susan Bones. A bit of a plain jane, she looked absolutely stunning with her hair done up and wearing a pink and white gown. O'Bannon flashed a grin at Susan's date, Justin Finch-Fletchley. _Best of luck, dude._

"Jimmy! Over here!"

He stopped when he heard the silky French accent. Swallowing, he stared across the hall and spotted her. His knees buckled.

_Oh . . . my . . . God._

Mireet wore a sparkling silver gown that perfectly hugged her taut, athletic frame. Her flowing blond hair had been done up, though loose strands cascaded down each cheek.

He continued to stare at her. Was he really going to the Yule Ball with her? How the hell did he end up with a witch so mind-blowingly gorgeous without downing an entire jug of Luck Potion?

His brain told him to move. Fear glued him to the floor. Fear he'd do something to screw this up. Fear Mireet didn't feel the same way about him he did about her.

_I don't know. She seems to really like me._

_Or am I misreading her signals._

"Um, hey mate?"

Fred's voice cut through O'Bannon's fear-filled brain. He spun around to face the tall redhead.

"I think she wants you to go over to her." He tacked on a supportive smile.

"Oh. Um, yeah, right."

"Go on." Katie patted him on the shoulder. "You'll do fine."

O'Bannon nodded. He drew a deep breath, trying to ignore his pounding heart and churning stomach. Shoulders squared, he strode across the corridor, weaving his way around several students.

Mireet's smile grew as he approached. His eyes roamed up and down her body. He noticed she appeared even taller than usual. She had to be wearing heels. Not too high, though, thankfully. Mireet was already taller than him without heels.

He chewed on his lip. Ever since he asked Mireet to the Yule Ball he had this scene pictured in his head. It always looked so cool in the world of his imagination. But would it fly in real life? Would she think it tacky? Would she think he was forcing himself on her?

He drew a deep breath and decided to go for it.

"Mireet. You, um . . . you look beautiful . . . _Mademoiselle."_ He took her right hand, raised it to his lips and lightly kissed her knuckles. He tensed, praying she appreciated the gesture.

When he raised his eyes, he was rewarded with a huge smile.

"_Merci, Monsieur _O'Bannon. May I say you look very handsome tonight."

"Thanks." The smile threatened to consume his face.

He caught movement out the corner of his eye. Fred, George and Lee started making their way over to them. They only managed a few steps before Angelina, Alicia and Katie steered them in the opposite direction.

_Thanks, girls. I owe you._

O'Bannon turned back to Mireet. "So, um, looking forward to this?"

"_Oui._ I'm anxious to see what this Yule Ball is like. Hopefully it isn't as, what is the term, _straight-laced_ as the formal dances we have at Beauxbatons."

"Well if they're bringing in the Weird Sisters for this thing, I doubt there's gonna be anything straight-laced about it. I mean, if you like the Weird Sisters."

"You are not a fan of theirs?"

"They're okay." O'Bannon shrugged. "Actually, there's only a couple of Wizarding bands I really like, like Deadly Curses, probably 'cause they sound a lot like Iron Maiden. Then there's this one group from Canada called Frozen Aurora. The lead singer's a Muggle-born, and you can tell he's been seriously influenced by Rush."

Mireet canted her head. "Iron Maiden? Rush? I haven't heard of those bands."

"Oh. They're both Muggle bands. Two of the best Muggle bands _ever_, along with Led Zeppelin."

"You've piqued my curiosity. I'm going to have to find a way to listen to them."

"Actually, there's a way you can. Dean Thomas has this charm that lets Muggle CDs work inside Hogwarts. We'll have to get together and listen to 'em some time."

"I would like that."

O'Bannon's insides swelled. That was a good sign that there could be more to the two of them than just going to the Yule Ball.

At eight o'clock on the dot, the doors to the Great Hall opened.

"Well, shall we?" O'Bannon held out his arm.

"_Oui."_ Mireet smiled and slipped her arm around his elbow.

Standing ramrod straight, chest puffed out, he escorted Mireet through the throng of students into the Great Hall. He barely took note of the numerous ice sculptures and the mistletoe and ivy that adorned the enchanted starry ceiling. He kept casting sideway glances at Mireet. Other times, he'd look at all the other couples in the Great Hall, wanting their gazes directed toward him, or rather, toward Mireet, to see he walked arm-in-arm with the most beautiful witch in the world.

His earlier fears and anxiety dissolved. He held his chin high. He knew deep down in his soul this would be the greatest Christmas of his life.

A loud ringing shattered the world.

O'Bannon's eyes flickered open. He moaned and slowly looked around. The Great Hall had been replaced by the Weasley twins' bedroom.

"George, shut off the bloody alarm," Fred muttered.

"When did it become my job to shut off the alarm?"

"I'm the oldest, so do what I say?"

"You're only the oldest by, what, two minutes?"

"Just shut it off."

"Make me."

"Merlin's sake!" Bill flung the blankets off his tall frame and threw his legs over the edge of his bed.

"Yay!" George cheered. "Bill's come to save the day."

"Like hell." Bill pushed himself off his bed and stomped toward the door. "I'm not your bloody house elf. Now decide which one of you is going to shut off the alarm clock and be quick about it."

Bill exited the room, slamming the door.

The twins looked at one another.

"Well I'm not turning it off," said Fred.

"Neither am I," George replied.

The twins then turned to O'Bannon.

"Jimmy Boy." Fred grinned at him. "How would you like to do the honors?"

He rolled his eyes. "This ain't my house."

"It's not our either, technically," said George. "We have our own place now. We're just guests here, like you."

The three of them continued to look at the alarm clock on the night stand, which still blared. None of them made a move to shut it off. It kept ringing, and ringing, and ringing.

"Aw, screw it." O'Bannon snatched his wand and jabbed it at the clock, which fell silent.

"Yay, Jimmy!" Fred and George clapped and whistled.

O'Bannon flipped them the bird and pushed himself off his cot. He padded down the hall to the bathroom, images of his dream drifting through his mind. He couldn't believe he'd dreamed about Mireet again. And Merlin's Beard, was it a vivid dream. He felt like he'd been dropped back in time two years ago, reliving the night of the Yule Ball. A night filled with so much hope, so much . . .

He groaned, trying to push down the memories of that night, instead thinking of Talia. How was she doing back in the States? Was she still pissed at him for leaving?

After getting dressed he headed downstairs into the kitchen. Harry and Ron had already sat down to eat breakfast. O'Bannon took a seat across from them. That's when he realized something.

"Yo, Ron. Where's your mom at?"

"Had to run out to the chicken coop," he answered through a mouthful of food. "Needed some more eggs."

O'Bannon nodded, then got up and walked over to the simmering pot on the stove, where he helped himself to some oatmeal. He'd just filled his bowl when Fred and George sauntered into the kitchen. As O'Bannon made his way back to the table, a tapping sound caught his attention. He looked to the window above the sink, where an owl sat outside, a pink envelope in its beak. Upon closer examination, he discovered the name RON written on the front.

"Yo, Ron. Mail call." He opened the window. The owl hopped inside. That's when a strong, flowery smell assaulted his nostrils.

"Whoa!" He turned to Ron. "Dude, whoever sent this letter musta drowned it in perfume first."

Ron froze before he rounded the table. His eyes widened and the veins in his neck stuck out.

_What's up with him?_

"Well if Ickle Ronniekins doesn't want his letter . . ." Fred reached out and snatched the envelope from the owl's beak. The bird jumped and hooted in protest.

"Fred! No! Give it!"

O'Bannon leaned back against the kitchen sink as Ron charged past him.

"George! Catch!" Fred tossed the envelope to his twin before Ron could snatch it.

"Give it, you gits!" Ron tried to launch himself at George, only to have Fred block his path.

O'Bannon shook his head. "I'm so glad Mom and Dad decided not to have any other children."

Harry just glanced around at the three Weasley siblings, looking unsure whether he should help Ron or let things play out.

"Who's it from, George?" Fred hopped back and forth, keeping Ron at bay. "What does it say?"

"I'll tell you, provided I don't choke to death on this perfume. Bloody hell, it'll take all day to air out the house."

George opened the envelope, took out the letter and unfolded it. Ron stopped trying to get around Fred and just stared at the other twin with a mortified expression.

George gazed at the letter for a couple silent seconds, then snickered. "'My Dearest Won Won.'"

O'Bannon choked off a laugh. He swung his head toward Ron. "Won Won? What the heck is that about?"

With a Cheshire Cat grin, George continued to read. "'I hope you are well. I miss you so very, very much. I am counting the days and the hours and the minutes until we return to Hogwarts. I can't wait to see you walk into Gryffindor Tower so I can hug you to pieces and shower you with kisses.'"

Despite his best efforts not to, O'Bannon convulsed with laughter. Harry, meanwhile, scrunched up his face in a rather ill look.

"'Or, my dearest, perhaps we could meet in Diagon Alley before we head back to Hogwarts. There's a wonderful little tea room just past Gringotts where we could spend all day, just the two of us.'"

"Oh my." Fred held his hand over his heart, his voice high-pitched. "How romantic."

Ron glared at his brother. O'Bannon wasn't sure if the younger Weasley wanted to deck Fred or just crawl into a hole.

"What's going on?"

All eyes turned to Ginny Weasley, who'd walked into the kitchen, followed by Rosa.

"Oh, it's a lovely moment, it is, my dear sweet sister." Fred blinked in an exaggerated manner. "George is regaling us with a reading of Ickle Ronniekins' love letter. Please, dear brother, read on."

Ginny's face twisted as George continued. "'Please owl me back to let me know if we can meet sometime this week. Till then, Take care, my sweet, sweet Won Won. Hugs and kisses and all my love, Lavender.'"

O'Bannon drew his head back in disbelief. Lavender? As in . . .

"Dude!" He whipped his head toward Ron. "You and Lavender Brown!"

Ron responded with a grunt. He pushed past Fred and grabbed the letter from George. "You're both arseholes!"

He stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs. The slamming of his door shook the entire Burrow.

O'Bannon raised an eyebrow. Okay, it was a little embarrassing to have your older brothers read your love letter aloud, but he didn't think it warranted that sort of reaction. Heck, Ron didn't even seem thrilled when the owl arrived with that letter.

_Trouble in paradise?_ Sappy as Lavender's letter was, it sounded like she couldn't wait to see him and "shower him with kisses." Which, considering the girl's hotness factor, was not a bad thing.

He stared at the floor, wondering about Artimus. How would he take this news, considering he'd been crushing on Lavender during their brief time in England several months ago?

"This is just getting ridiculous." Ginny scowled.

"What's ridiculous?" O'Bannon asked.

"This whole thing with Lavender Brown," Ginny snapped. "You should've seen those two this past term. In the hallways, in the middle of the Common Room, practically eating one another's faces. It was disgusting."

"I bet you don't think that sort of thing is disgusting when it's you and Dean Thomas doing it." Fred waggled his eyebrows at his sister.

"Sod off!" Ginny punched her brother in the arm, causing him to wince. "At least Dean and I have the decency to do that sort of thing away from the rest of the world."

Harry, O'Bannon noticed, took a sudden interest in something in his cereal bowl.

"To be honest," O'Bannon looked around the room. "I'd always felt Lavender was a bit of a snob, but she's still a babe. I say if Ron's getting some from her, more power to him."

Ginny aimed her blazing red face at him. "Typical male! Fine and well to go off and snog the living daylights out of some tart. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks? Who cares how it might hurt someone else?"

A perplexed look fell over O'Bannon's face. "What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about? Has anyone stopped to think how this . . . _relationship _between Ron and Lavender is affecting Hermione?"

That just made O'Bannon more perplexed. "What does Hermione have to do with this?"

Ginny let loose a frustrated breath. "Isn't it obvious?"

O'Bannon shrugged, wondering what she was getting at.

Ginny shook her head and looked to the ceiling. "Ron and Hermione fancy one another!"

O'Bannon did a double-take. "Ron and Hermione?"

Ginny nodded.

"Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger?"

Again, Ginny nodded.

"Your brother, Ron, and the bushy-haired know-it-all?"

"Yes!" Ginny flung her arms out to her side. "You spent a whole year at Hogwarts, as a Gryffindor. How could you not see it?"

"Um, probably because every time I turned around they were arguing."

"She only yells at him because she cares about him!"

O'Bannon canted his head. "Are you serious?"

"Argh!" Ginny spun around and stalked back into the living room. "Why are boys so bloody thick?"

Rosa shot him a disapproving look, shook her head, and followed Ginny out.

After several seconds of silence, O'Bannon looked around at Harry and the Weasley twins. "Dude, is this for real? Ron and Hermione?"

"I don't know." Harry muttered and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Well, they do say men want to marry a woman just like their mum," Fred chimed in. "Our mum yells at Ron all the time, Hermione yells at Ron all the time. So . . ."

"I don't buy it."

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge, Jimmy Boy." George smirked at him. "There were a couple D.A. meetings where I noticed Ickle Ronniekins shooting an admiring glance or two Hermione's way."

"Bullcrap." O'Bannon gave him a dismissive wave. "You know what? If Ron and Hermione ever get married, I swear, I'll put on a New York Yankees jersey, stand in the middle of Kenmore Square, and shout at the top of my lungs how much I love Derek Friggin' Jeter."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Jimmy Boy." Fred pointed at him.

He shrugged, knowing that would never, _ever_, happen.

**XXXXX**

After another day of searching for the Chupacabra and/or whatever the hell attacked those cows, O'Bannon and the others returned to the Burrow for dinner, followed by a meeting running down everyone's progress.

_Progress. _O'Bannon shook his head at the word. They hadn't made a damn bit of progress. Yeah, in a few areas they found some broken branches and disturbed leaves on the ground, though they could have been caused by anything. He'd hoped for something from Hagrid's end, but Lupin informed them that the footprint sample he'd recovered had the half-giant completely stumped. The news stunned O'Bannon. Hagrid may not be the world's greatest teacher, but the guy knew his magical creatures. And if Hagrid couldn't tell what made that print . . .

When the meeting broke up, Rosa, the twins and Lupin headed out for their night reconnaissance. O'Bannon would have the second patrol in three hours with Artimus, Mr. Weasley and Tonks. Meantime he chilled in Ron's room, where he, Jared, Harry and Ginny watched Ron engage Artimus in a game of wizard chess.

"I still can't believe you haven't found those Chupacabra, or whatever killed those cows yet," Ron said before ordering one of his rooks to move down the board and threaten Art's remaining bishop.

O'Bannon shrugged. "Hey, gimmie a break. England's a bigger country than what it looks like on a map."

"Still, you got wards set up around a bunch of the grazing lands in Glastonbury." Ron's gaze stayed on the board as Artimus moved a pawn. "You'd think those things would have set off one of them by now."

"Yeah, you'd think," Jared grumbled.

O'Bannon sighed. "I'm starting to think we're gonna be in this country forever trying to find these friggin' Chupacabra and this other thing." He quickly scanned the Brits. "I mean, no offense to England or anything, but it'd be nice if we found some clues where these monsters are. Then we can deal with 'em and move on to more important things."

"I'd say stopping these creatures from killing every farm animal in Britain is important," Ginny noted.

"You-Know-Who would need a lot of Chupacabra for that. Even still, it'd take a long time for them to do that kind of damage. We'd get 'em easily before that ever came close to happening."

Harry folded his arms as Ron's knight reduced one of Artimus' pawns to rubble. "I don't like this."

O'Bannon's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"This whole thing with Voldemort and the Chupacabra. The way you guys are talking, it seems whatever plan he has involving those creatures is doomed to fail. Voldemort's not the sort invest time and effort into something that ultimately won't work."

"Well, maybe the Chupacabra are just a distraction." Artimus grinned as his knight jammed its sword into Ron's bishop. "Maybe You-Know-Who's hoping we'll concentrate so much on them we'll ignore something more important."

"Like the creature that killed those cows," said Ginny.

"After yesterday we're not ignoring it any more." Jared turned to her. "So much for the Chupacabra being a distraction."

"Well, let's just be glad whatever it is, is just killing cows and not people." As soon as O'Bannon said it, something niggled the back of his mind. He thought of the comments by Mad-Eye Moody and Luna Lovegood, how they felt there had to be more to Voldemort going through all the trouble of importing Chupacabra to Britain than just letting them loose to suck blood from cows and goats and sheep. But he'd be damned if he could think of how the little monsters could be such a menace to wizarding folk.

_Maybe Voldemort needs them as ingredients for some sort of potion._

If there was a potion that used Chupacabra parts, he couldn't think of it. During his seven years of schooling he couldn't recall a single potion that required so much as a Chupacabra toenail clipping.

He wondered if he should even waste time thinking about the Chupacabra with this new creature lurking somewhere out there. Should he even be worried about it? For all any of them knew it could be like the Chupacabra. Killing farm animals but going out of its way to avoid people.

"Aww!" Jared's moan broke O'Bannon's reverie. He noticed Artimus' king kneeling in defeat before Ron's rook.

"So, who's next?" Ron gazed at them with a triumphant smile.

"No way." O'Bannon held up his hands. "You've kicked my ass enough at this game."

"Dude, everyone in the world's kicked your ass at this game." Jared grinned at him.

"All right, dipstick. You take him on."

"Well, I would but . . . see, the problem is, um . . ."

"The problem is you're as pathetic at wizard chess as I am."

"Oh blimey, but you're both a couple of wimps." Ginny slid across the floor and shooed Artimus aside. "Here, I'll play."

"You, Gin?" Ron sniggered. "When have you ever lasted more than thirty moves against me?"

Ginny scowled at her brother.

"Oh, I think the gauntlet has been thrown down." Jared leaned forward, rubbing his hands.

"Good luck, Ginny," Harry said.

"Why thank you, Harry." Ginny smiled at him.

O'Bannon noticed Harry's Adam's apple bob up and down.

"Well, since you have never come close to beating me before," Ron stated, "I'll be nice and let you move first."

"Oh don't do me any favors because -"

A loud hum filled the room. Everyone snapped their heads in all directions.

"What the bloody hell?" blurted Ron.

O'Bannon froze, his entire body tingling. He held his breath and lowered his eyes to his waistband, where he kept his wand. The thing vibrated like mad.

He then noticed Jared and Artimus staring at their wands.

"Man, something just set off a ward somewhere."

A split-second after Jared's statement, white mist sprang from the Americans' wands. It swirled above them and took the shape of a house. O'Bannon's chest tightened when he recognized it. It was a house he'd been to only a few days ago.

It was the Diggory house.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE 2/26/09:** _My a__pologies for another longer than expected delay on this. Just as I appeared to be getting over my bronchitis, I got hit with a nasty cold that floored me for several days. I'm feeling better now, and hopefully in a few more days all of this crap will be completely out of my system. Being sick sucks ass!_


	12. Casualties

**CHAPTER 12: CASUALTIES **

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_The following continues scenes of graphic violence. You have been warned._

O'Bannon charged through the open front door of the Burrow, Jared and Artimus on his heels. A few yards ahead of him he spotted Mr. Weasley, Bill and Lupin pounding down the dirt path to the Apparation point. Wand gripped tightly, he forced his legs to speed up. The surging adrenaline slowed the world around him. The Apparation point never seemed to get any closer.

_C'mon! C'mon! _His brain screamed. They had to get to the Diggorys' house. What the hell could have set off those wards?

Finally he caught up with Mr. Weasley and the others at the Apparation point. The red-headed man turned to him. "I sent a patronus to the twins and Rosa. They'll meet us at the Diggorys. Let's go."

Heart pounding, O'Bannon closed his eyes. A sharp crack filled his ears. He felt his body pulled in a thousand directions. When he re-opened his eyes, the Diggorys' house appeared in front of him. Light blazed through the downstairs windows. He scanned the exterior for any sign of damage, but found none.

"Bill, Remus and I will check the front," Mr. Weasley stated. "Jimmy, Jared, Artimus, go 'round back."

O'Bannon nodded and led his friends to the rear of the Diggory house. He glanced through each window he came across, looking for any sign of the owners. They were nowhere to be seen.

_Please be okay. Please be okay._

He passed three more windows. Each time he saw no sign of the Diggorys. A cold feeling of dread twisted around his insides. He bit his lip as he came to another window, praying to see either Mr. or Mrs. Diggory. He peeked through it and saw a large table, a pot-bellied stove, an ice box, a sink . . .

And a pool of blood on the floor.

O'Bannon swallowed. Terror engulfed his soul. He looked further down the house and spotted a back door leading into the kitchen. He rushed toward it, Jared and Artimus right behind him. When he tried the door knob, he discovered it was locked.

"_Redacto!"_

The door knob exploded. O'Bannon shoved the door open and sprinted inside, wand raised. His eyes darted to the floor. Patches of blood, some small, others large, formed an uneven trail to the hallway.

"Mr. Diggory! Mrs. Diggory!"

He waited for them to reply . . . and waited.

_C'mon! C'mon!_

O'Bannon was about to call out again when Jared tapped him on the shoulder. He pointed toward the hallway. O'Bannon gripped his wand tighter and furrowed his brow.

A shadow danced across the wall. A big shadow. He also heard something coming from the hallway. A grunt?

He waved Jared and Artimus to follow. O'Bannon held his breath as they rushed into the hallway.

He skidded to a halt and gaped at the sight before him.

The creature had to be well over six foot and covered in green scales. A row of dark spikes protruded from its back. Huge black eyes dominated its reptilian face. Blood dripped from its sharp teeth.

O'Bannon shuddered when he saw what the creature held in its claws. Mrs. Diggory, her neck and torso stained in blood.

"M-M-Merlin," Artimus said in a breathless whisper.

The creature looked up at them and growled. O'Bannon tried to think of a spell to shoot at it. But all his focus was on Mrs. Diggory, covered in blood. Was she dead? Oh God, please don't let her be dead.

The creature dropped Mrs. Diggory. Her body hit the floor with a dull thud. With a primal roar, the creature charged them.

"_Stupefy!"_

Three Stunning Spells streaked across the hallway. All three struck the creature in the torso. It stumbled, then drew a raspy breath. It stared back at the three, the skin around its eyes wrinkling.

It roared again and resumed its charge.

O'Bannon got off another Stunning Spell, but missed. So did Artimus. Jared's spell nailed the creature in the shoulder.

By that time, it was on top of them.

"Look ou-"

The creature barreled into O'Bannon. Pain exploded throughout his body. He flew back into the kitchen and slammed into the floor. The air exploded from his lungs. He stared at the ceiling, gaping, an invisible vice crushing him.

A reptilian face appeared above him. It snarled, displaying its blood-stained teeth. He tried to feel his wand in his hand. Did he still have it? All he could feel was the pain battering his bones and muscles.

The creature bent down, its mouth opening wide.

A loud snap pierced the air. O'Bannon glimpsed a black cord wrap around the creature's waist.

"Gotcha!" Jared shouted.

O'Bannon lifted his head and glanced around the creature's legs. Jared stood just outside the hallway, holding his enchanted whip with both hands. His face tightened and his arms shook as he tried to pull the creature away from O'Bannon. It growled and thrashed. Jared bared his teeth, fighting to hold on to it.

O'Bannon pushed himself up to a sitting position. He scanned the floor for his wand. It lay about five feet away, behind the creature.

_If Jared can hold on to it . . ._

Suddenly the creature whipped around. It grabbed the whip with both hands. Jared groaned, lines digging into his face.

"Art." His voice sounded strained. "Gimmie a ha-"

The creature snapped its arms to the left. Jared flew through the air, over the table, and crashed into a pantry. The wooden door split in half. He dropped to the floor, rolled on his back and clutched his right shoulder. A tortured cry burst from his mouth.

The creature growled and stalked toward the hallway.

Toward Artimus.

"_Stupefy! Stupefy!"_

The Stunning Spells staggered the creature, but didn't stop it. It advanced on Artimus, who retreated further into the hallway.

O'Bannon groaned and propped himself up on all fours. The veins in his neck stood out as he heard Jared's pain-wracked cries. He tried to ignore them. His other friend was in a lot more danger.

He scrambled over to his wand and snatched it up. The creature raised its right hand. Artimus brought up his wand.

"_Expecto Patr-"_

He tripped over Mrs. Diggory's body before he could complete the incantation.

The creature crouched, ready to lunge at Artimus.

"_Constrictus!"_

A bolt flew from O'Bannon's wand and struck the floor between the creature's feet. Thick vines burst through the floor and wrapped around The creature. It flailed, its claws tearing at the vines.

O'Bannon whipped around his wand. The vines tightened around the creature's arms, legs and torso. Somehow, it managed to slice through one of the vines wrapped around its left arm. A chunk of the green tentacle dropped to the floor.

_Crap. _O'Bannon feared the Constrictus Curse wouldn't hold the creature much longer. God help them once it broke free.

Tension gripped his body. There was only one thing to do.

He flicked his wand again. One of the vines snaked up from the creature's torso and wrapped around its neck.

The creature hacked. Its flailing and kicking grew more wild. It jammed its clawed left hand into the vine around its neck.

O'Bannon summoned more vines. They enveloped the creature's arms and legs. It half-growled, half-choked as it thrashed about. A second vine then encircled its neck. O'Bannon's eyes narrowed. He kept his wand aimed at the vines around the creature's neck, making them tighter, tighter . . .

It stopped moving. The creature hung limp, supported by the vines. O'Bannon held his breath, trying to listen through Jared's moans for any sound coming from the creature.

It remained silent, and still.

"What the hell is that thing?"

O'Bannon blinked. Slowly, he rose to his feet and looked around the vines holding the unmoving creature. Mr. Weasley, Bill and Lupin had appeared around Artimus.

"It's dead, that's what it is." O'Bannon flicked his wand. The vines disappeared and the creature crumpled to the floor.

"Is everyone all right?"

Rosa came into view, followed by Fred and George. Her eyes and mouth widened when she spotted Mrs. Diggory lying on the floor.

"Oh Merlin," she said in a horrified whisper. "No."

Lupin knelt down and put two fingers against Mrs. Diggory's neck. His shoulders slumped and he shook his head.

O'Bannon's jaw quivered. Rosa closed her eyes and dropped her head. George looked to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Wha . . . What about Mister Diggory?" O'Bannon asked, fear bubbling in his gut.

Mr. Weasley's face fell. "We found him in the living room. He . . . Merlin, he was torn apart."

O'Bannon turned away, tears welling in his eyes. The Diggorys, dead. It didn't seem real to him. It was just a few days ago when he was here, talking to Mr. Diggory about Cedric.

_First their son, now them._

A painful groan arose from the kitchen. O'Bannon opened his eyes and saw Jared propped up against the shattered pantry door.

"Jared?" Rosa hurried down the hallway, followed by George. She rounded the corner and gasped when she saw her cousin.

"Jared!" She ran over to him and dropped to her knees beside him. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Caught that thing with my whip. Damn thing grabbed it and threw me into the door. Argh!" He bared his teeth. "Dammit! I think my shoulder's busted."

Rosa's eyes bulged. "Your whip? You used that thing instead of your wand?" Her body quaked for several seconds. "What kind of idiot are you! Merlin's beard, you could have been killed! Do you understand that?"

"Rosa, c'mon." George put a hand on her shoulder. "He's alive, isn't he?"

She shrugged off his hand. "What if he wasn't? You wouldn't have to be the one to tell his mother he died because he was stupid!" Rosa glared at Jared and raised a fist. She held it up for a couple seconds, then lowered it with a snort. The stare she aimed at her cousin held both fury and tears.

"Come on, now," Mr. Weasley said in an even voice. "We've work to do. Artimus. Take Jared back to the Burrow. Tell Molly we're going to need a healer for him."

"We need to take this body with us." Remus nodded to the creature. "We've got to examine it. Find out what it is."

"Actually, it looks like a Chupacabra," Artimus said as he headed over to collect Jared. "But, the thing's too big to be one. I mean, the biggest one on record was about four-five. And they're never this violent toward people."

Lupin stared silently at Artimus before nodding and turning back to the creature. "Then we really need to study this creature. If a Chupacabra can grow to this size, I doubt it was done by natural means. The Order has a safe house in Hurst Green. We can look at it over there."

Lupin levitated the creature and headed out the back door. Artimus helped Jared to his feet and followed Lupin outside, where they would all Apparate to their appropriate destinations.

"What about the Diggorys, Dad?" Bill glanced down at Mrs. Diggory.

"I'll send a patronus to the Ministry, let them know what happened. Meantime, I want to search the property, see if any more of these things are about. Fred, George, Rosa. Search the rear. Jimmy, you're with Bill and me. And everybody be extra careful."

Rosa and the twins went out the back door. O'Bannon followed Mr. Weasley and his oldest son into the living room. He walked around Mrs. Diggory, his eyes locked on her blood-soaked body. He shivered, nausea burning his stomach. It wasn't the first time he'd seen a dead person. He thought back over a year ago when Serinta Sejant was struck down by a Killing Curse. But there had been no trauma to her body. Were it not for the blank stare she had, Serinta would have looked like she was just lying down.

But with Mrs. Diggory . . .

O'Bannon swallowed hard against the bile rising in his throat. The woman's neck and left side bore huge gashes. A chunk of her shoulder was missing.

_Oh God. It . . . it was eating her._

His knees buckled. He forced himself to turn away, but the image of Mrs. Diggory's mutilated body would not leave his mind's eye. God, the poor woman. Did she suffer? Did she scream in agony?

And the blood. So much blood.

He reached the living room. Something to the right caught his eye. He turned to see what it was.

He wished he hadn't.

Mr. Diggory lay crumpled against the wall, surrounded by a large pool of blood. His torso had been ripped open. The man's organs had spilled from his body onto the floor.

O'Bannon felt the color drain from his face. A sensation of hot and cold rolled through his stomach.

"Jimmy?" He barely heard Mr. Weasley. "Jimmy, are you all right?"

He turned to the man and opened his mouth to answer.

Instead, he doubled over and puked.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	13. The Burden Of Leadership

**CHAPTER 13: THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP**

* * *

Rosa twisted in her cot, burying her head deeper into her pillow. She shut her eyes tight, hoping, praying, she would finally fall asleep.

But the images assaulted her mind's eye again. The bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Diggory, bloodied, mutilated. A shiver rippled across her body. She pulled the covers tight around her, clenching them in a death grip.

Shifting in the cot again, she opened her eyes and stared across the darkened bedroom. Ginny seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

_Of course she is. She didn't see . . ._

Rosa ground her teeth. The memory appeared clear as day. Mrs. Diggory, covered in blood, her throat ripped open, part of her shoulder missing. Eaten.

The image changed to Mr. Diggory. Her jaw quivered as she recalled the man's guts spilling out of him.

She thought of some of the Muggle movies she'd seen when visiting Jimmy's house, movies like _A Nightmare on Elm Street _and _An American Werewolf in London_. Those had been extremely gory. Sometimes she wondered if that might help prepare her for some of the bad stuff she would undoubtedly see as an auror.

It hadn't. How could it? What she saw on Jimmy's TV had been fake. Special _effix_, he called them.

There was nothing fake about what happened to the Diggory's. The blood, the entrails. They'd all been very real.

And she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Grunting, Rosa threw the covers off herself and swung her legs over the side of her cot. She put on her slippers and a bathrobe and quietly crept across the floor so as not to wake Ginny or Fleur. After gently closing the door, she trudged down the twisting staircase until she reached the living room. Her gaze shifted to the rather unique grandfather clock, one with nine hands, each bearing the name of one of the Weasleys. All of them pointed to the words "Mortal Peril." She wondered if that could apply to everyone in Wizarding Britain, or any other country in the world.

_It certainly applied to the Diggorys. And look what happened to them._

Rosa fell onto one of the couches, folding her arms and staring intently at the darkened floor. Again she replayed the events of several hours ago in her head. She, George and Fred Disapparating in front of the Diggory house and rushing inside. There was Mr. Diggory, eviscerated. Mrs. Diggory, mauled.

And Jared . . .

She hugged herself, remembering how he'd been howling in pain and clutching his shoulder. She closed her eyes, trying to stem the tears she felt welling up. The dark side of her imagination rewrote the scene in her head. It wasn't the Diggorys lying dead and mutilated. It was her cousin. And next to him lay Jimmy and Artimus, all three ripped apart, drenched in blood.

_Stop it. It didn't happen._

_But what if . . ._

Rosa rocked back and forth, tears stinging her eyes. What would she do if any of them, or all of them, had died? Jared almost did. If he had struck the pantry door a different way, he might have broken his neck instead of his shoulder.

Icy needles spread across her body. She wanted to push the thought out of her head. No! She wanted to stomp it into the ground and blow it up with a Reductor Curse. That couldn't happen. Jared couldn't die. They'd been together their entire lives. Sure he could be annoying, sure she enjoyed "taking the mickey out of him" as George would say. But without question she loved him. He was more of a brother to her than a cousin.

To not have him in her life was unfathomable.

Her eyelashes grew wet as another feeling slithered through her. A dark, heavy mass that had been with her since she left the Diggory house. At times she feared she'd drown in this feeling. More than once, she wished she would.

She deserved to.

"Rosa?"

Her head snapped around. A tall figure stood near the entrance to the kitchen. It held a dark bottle in its right hand.

She screwed up her eyes, a bit blurry from the moisture swirling within them. "George?"

"Guilty as charged." He slowly made his way over to her. "Trouble sleeping?"

Rosa nodded as he sat next to her. She sighed and chewed on her lip as she stared at George. Had this happened at any other time she would have already leapt on him and begun kissing and caressing him. But after the events of this night, romance was the last thing on her mind.

"Thinking about the Diggorys?" he asked in an unusually flat voice.

"Yeah," she muttered, fearing her voice might crack if she spoke longer.

George took a swig from his bottle. Butterbeer, it appeared. "They were pretty good folk, the Diggorys. Better off than us, but Mr. Diggory always treated Dad well, unlike most of the gits who work in the Ministry."

Rosa just nodded, clenching her teeth.

"Cedric was a good bloke, too. I remember my Fifth Year, we beat Hufflepuff at Quidditch. Hell of a battle that was. And later on at supper, Cedric stopped me and Fred before we went into the Great Hall and congratulated us on a well played match." He emitted a long sigh before continuing. "And all we did the year after that was ridicule him because he was Harry's rival in the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

Rosa swallowed hard against the sob building in her throat.

"Really tight-knit family, Diggorys. And now . . ."

Rosa shut her eyes and leaned forward. She wanted to yell at George to shut up. She didn't want to hear what wonderful people the Diggorys were. She didn't want to think of how nice and loving they were when the only images of them in her mind had them covered in blood.

Mostly, she just didn't want to break down in front of George. Her strength had been one of the things that had attracted him to her. What would he think if she turned into some weepy, helpless little girl?

A hand gently grasped her shoulder. She quivered. The tears welled in her eyes. She wanted to pull away from George's touch, dart upstairs and lock herself in the bathroom where she could cry alone, the way she preferred those very few times in her life when it had been necessary.

George's hand slid across her back. His arm now wrapped around her shoulders. Her jaw trembled.

_No. Please, George. Don't._

He slowly pulled her toward him.

"It's my fault." The words tumbled from her mouth.

"What?"

She lifted her head, looking him in the eyes, those warm, caring, sympathetic eyes.

All her resistance crumbled. "It's my fault. I should have taken this mission seriously from the beginning."

George canted his head. "What are you going on about?"

"When my Aunt Liana told me about our mission here, I was pissed. I wanted to do something more important than hunt down some damn Chupacabra. I mean, they're pests. How could I take them seriously? But if I had, if I'd searched harder, if I'd thought up some better tactics, we could have found this thing sooner. The Diggorys . . ." She felt tears slide down her cheeks. "The Diggorys would still be alive."

"Rosa, you can't blame yourself for what happened to them."

"I'm training to be an auror, George." Her throat tightened as more tears flowed from her eyes. "My job is to protect people. I failed to do that, and the Diggorys are dead because of it."

"Rosa . . ."

She turned away, her jawquivering as she bit down a sob.

Fingers lightly touched her chin. She stiffened at George's touch. Gently but firmly, he rotated her head back toward him.

"Rosa, I've been down this road before, with Harry. When Cedric was murdered, Harry blamed himself for his death. He beat himself up for insisting they both grab the Tri-Wizard Cup so they could both win the Tournament. But how could he have known the cup was really a port key that would take him to this cemetery where You-Know-Who was waiting for him? He couldn't have. It was the same when his godfather, Sirius, was killed during the big fight at the Ministry of Magic. Harry thought if he hadn't been fooled by You-Know-Who into coming to the Ministry, Sirius wouldn't have had to go there to rescue him and the others, and he would still be alive."

George took a breath before continuing. "Do you want to know whose fault it really was? Cedric's death? Sirius' death? It was You-Know-Who's. And after seeing how big and vicious that Chupacabra was, I'd bet our shop's profits for the next ten years You-Know-Who was behind that, too."

He cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned closer. "From what I've seen of you, you have been taking this seriously. You've been doing your absolute best out there."

Her cheeks twitched. Anger and sorrow collided within. _"You did your best."_ Yeah right. That's what people told you when you screwed up. If she had done her best, the Diggorys would be alive.

George's arms slid around her back. She felt herself being pulled toward him.

_Oh Merlin. No, no, no._

Darkness fell over her eyes as her face nestled against his chest. His embrace tightened.

_Hold it in._ Her neck muscles clenched. _Hold it in._

George gently kissed the top of her head.

A sob wracked her body. Another followed. Oh Merlin, she couldn't be doing this. Not in front of George.

He ran a comforting hand up and down her back and gave her another kiss on the head. "It's okay, Rosa. I'm here for as long as you need me."

She let go and cried into his shoulder.

**XXXXX**

Breakfast was a much more subdued affair this morning, O'Bannon noticed. None of the usual boisterous conversations filled the air. Ron and Harry didn't discuss Quidditch. Mr. Weasley didn't ask him endless questions about the Muggle world. Even Fleur Delacour had the sense to refrain from her usual bitching.

Instead, the people around the table quietly ate their food. Or in the cases of Harry, Rosa, George and Artimus, they just picked at it. Even Mrs. Weasley was less vibrant than usual. She had not hovered over a single person insisting they take second or third helpings.

O'Bannon stroked his soft-boiled egg with the bottom of his spoon. How the hell could anyone blather on about Quidditch or _fellytones_ or anything else after what happened last night? Two people dead. Jared lucky to get out of that fight with just a separated shoulder an Order healer easily mended.

He pictured the mutilated bodies of the Diggorys. His appetite vanished.

_I still can't believe they're dead._ Just a few days ago he'd been talking with Mr. Diggory about his son. Now . . .

And that creature! Could it really be a Chupacabra? How the hell could it get that big?

_Like you really need to be Sherlock Friggin' Holmes to figure that one out?_

Voldemort. It had to be. Who else in Britain possessed the sort of magic needed to mutate a Chupacabra like that?

After Mrs. Weasley cleared away the plates, many of which contained half-eaten food, Lupin gave out today's assignments. Even though the Aurors Office was fully into the search for any more of these "Super Chupacabra," the Order of the Phoenix had no plans to sit on the sidelines. Mr. Weasley, in fact, would be acting as liaison between the Ministry and the Order in the search. O'Bannon, Bill and Jared would take part in the search efforts around Ottery St. Catchpole, while Rosa, the twins and Artimus would check out Glastonbury again. Lupin himself would be with Hagrid at the Hurst Green safe house to examine the dead Chupacabra.

As everyone got up from the table, Lupin called out, "Jimmy, can I see you for a moment?"

"Um, okay." He wondered what this could be about.

He followed Lupin out the back door. They kept walking until they reached one of the chicken coops.

"How are you holding up?" Lupin asked.

O'Bannon shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "All right." Even he could tell the response was not convincing.

Lupin sighed. "There's no reason to put on a brave front here, Jimmy."

He looked away from the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, eyeing a chicken nearby pecking at the ground. "I've just never seen . . . God, I was talking with them just a few days ago. How can they be dead?"

Lupin walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's a hard thing to accept, Jimmy, especially when they died in such a horrible way."

O'Bannon's face tightened. "I just . . . I just can't get it out of my head."

"I know what you're going through. Honestly, I do. During the last war I saw terrible things. So many times I told myself it couldn't be real, because human beings simply couldn't do such things to other human beings. And you can't help but dwell on what you've seen."

"Does it . . . does it ever go away?"

Lupin frowned. "I still have nightmares about some of the things I saw during the last war. Those events will always stay with you. The key is, you can't let them control your life."

"How do you do that?"

"Usually it just takes time. Talking about it with friends also helps. Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of doing that. We have to put the Diggorys deaths off to the side and concentrate on the task at hand. Finding any more of these altered Chupacabra."

O'Bannon's eyes widened. "How the hell can anyone do that?"

"You just have to. You just have to realize there is nothing you can do to help the Diggorys. We have to focus on the people who are still in danger from these creatures, who can still be saved. I know it's a difficult thing I'm asking, but if we can't stop thinking of the Diggorys, if we let this tragedy consume us, we won't be able to do our job. And more people will die."

O'Bannon stared at Lupin. He couldn't argue with the logic of his words. But to actually do it? Just forget about the Diggorys deaths? How could any person with any sort of feelings do that?

"And I'm sorry to put this added burden on you," Lupin continued. "But you also need to tell your friends this as well."

He took a step back, blinking at Lupin. "M-Me? Why can't you tell them?"

"You're much closer to them than I am. It will mean more coming from you. Besides, Tonks has talked about you quite a bit. She said you are the leader of your group. This is something a leader has to do."

O'Bannon stared at Lupin in silence. Was he serious? Him? This was the sort of thing an adult had to say. Not a wizard who hadn't even turned eighteen yet.

"Just remember. If you and your friends can't put the Diggorys deaths behind you, you risk becoming a liability to this mission, and more people are likely to die. I seriously doubt you want that."

With a parting nod, Lupin headed back to the Burrow.

O'Bannon watched him go, chewing on his lower lip. Lupin's words circled around the images of the Diggorys' blood-soaked bodies. He closed his eyes. The lifeless faces of Mr. and Mrs. Diggory changed. In their place he pictured Luna Lovegood and her father, Lee Jordan, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger.

Tonks.

The Weasleys.

Rosa.

Jared.

Artimus.

He shivered. How could he live with himself if he had a hand in any of their deaths?

O'Bannon drew several long, deep breaths of cold morning air until it burned his lungs. Face tightened, he marched back to the Burrow. By now everyone had assembled in the living room.

"Before we go," he announced. "Rosa, Jared, Art, Fred, George. I need to talk to you guys."

He walked past them and started up the stairs without waiting for a response. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure they followed him. They did. He also spotted Bill and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchanging bewildered looks. Lupin stepped over to them and started speaking as O'Bannon and the rest continued up the stairs.

He led them into the twins' room and closed the door when everyone was inside.

"What's up, man?" asked Jared.

He turned to the group. His mind replayed Lupin's words, trying to remember verbatim what he had said. Another realization struck him. It would take more than just words to get his point across to his friends.

Shortly after the Longathian Tunnel affair, when Tonks and Rosa and Jared and Artimus affirmed his status as leader of the quartet, he'd gotten hold of every book he could regarding leadership and war. He'd picked up biographies on magical heroes like Kensington Kadermass, who led American wizarding forces against the Adirondack giants, and Soaring Hawk, the Navajo wizard who battled Death Eaters in the American Southwest during the last war. Unfortunately, those books dealt more with descriptions of battles than actual lessons of leadership. He actually had more success with Muggle books. Sun Tzu's _The Art of War_ was a great resource. He also found good pointers in Colonel Larry Donnithorne's _The West Point Way of Leadership, _Dandridge M. Malone's _Small Unit Leadership: A Common Sense Approach, _E.K.G Sixsmith's _Eisenhower, His Life and Campaigns _and Rejai and Phillips' _World Military Leaders: A Collective and Comparative Analysis._ He tried his hand at von Clausewitz's _On War, _but found it way too heady. Some of the common themes of all the leadership books he'd read were: Leaders had to appear in control at all times. Leaders had to be supremely confident. Leaders could never show their true emotions. Showing worry or fear or sorrow in front of the people you led would kill their moral and confidence.

He sucked down a deep breath and squared his shoulders. His face tightened into an emotionless mask.

"The Diggorys are dead. There's nothing we can do to change that. We can mourn them, we can feel sorry for them, feel sorry for ourselves, but that won't accomplish anything. According to the Guild of the Light, You-Know-Who's bunch transported several Chupacabra from the U.S. to Britain. And if they mutated the one that attacked the Diggorys, you can bet there's more of them out there."

He paused, noticing he had everyone's undivided attention. "If you want to mourn the Diggorys more, you're going to do it another time. Because right now I need you one hundred percent focused on finding these Chupacabra. If you can't put your grief aside, if you can't put all your energy into finding and killing these bastards, then more people are going to wind up like the Diggorys. Do you want that?"

The group responded with some half-hearted "nos" and shakes of the head.

"I said do you want that!" He asked more forcefully.

"No!" They all shouted in unison.

"Then let's get out there. And the only thing I want on all your minds on, every minute you're out there, is finding these Chupacabra. Got it?"

"Yeah!"

"Good. Now let's go do what we came here to do."

He stepped aside and watched his friends exit the room. An air of resolve surrounded them. Inwardly he smiled. It appeared they had all bought into his words.

O'Bannon only hoped he could live up to them himself.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_All the Muggle books mentioned here are actual titles._


	14. A Surprise Guest

**CHAPTER 14: ****A SURPRISE GUEST**

* * *

O'Bannon checked over his shoulder as he tromped down the stairs, studying Jared's and Artimus' faces. Neither one smiled or said a word. They kept their gazes focused forward, their jaws set tightly. It was the look he'd hoped for after his speech yesterday. They'd gone from sorrow to determination. Or at least, they hid their sorrow well.

_Like I'm doing._

He tried to steer his thoughts away from the Diggorys and focus on their mission. He prayed they'd find the rest of these suped-up Chupacabra, or at the very least learn how the one he killed had been mutated. Lupin apparently spent all day yesterday at the Hurst Green safe house with Hagrid examining the creature. O'Bannon figured he was still there since he hadn't returned to the Burrow before he went to bed.

_You'd think they'da found something by now._

He entered the kitchen with Jared and Artimus in tow. Harry, Ron, Bill and Mr. Weasley were already eating. Actually, Harry just rolled a sausage link back and forth on his plate with his fork.

O'Bannon frowned. He'd bet anything Harry still took the Diggorys' murder pretty hard, probably harder than the rest of them considering everything he'd gone through with that family.

"How're ya holding up, Harry?" He slapped the boy's shoulder as he sat next to him.

"Huh?" Harry looked up with a start. "Oh, sorry. I was just . . . just thinking."

"Anything in particular?" O'Bannon asked as Jared and Artimus sat across from them.

Harry's lips twisted. "Just about these Chupacabra. What Voldemort's up to with them. I spent half the night lying in bed, trying to figure this whole thing out. Trying to do something useful instead of just sitting here doing nothing while people are out there dying." He scowled and jammed his fork into his sausage.

"Harry." Mr. Weasley aimed a sympathetic look his way. "I know you want to help, and I know you feel horrible over what happened to the Diggorys. But you have to believe we're doing everything we can to find the rest of these things. But you know you're You-Know-Who's number one target. We can't afford to put you in harm's way."

Harry slowly inhaled. His cheeks reddened. He looked ready to let Mr. Weasley know exactly what he thought of that.

"So, come up with any theories on our Chupacabra problem?" O'Bannon jumped in before Harry could open his mouth.

The boy looked at him. The tense air around him seemed to dissipate.

"Who has theories about the Chupacabra?"

O'Bannon's eyes darted toward the kitchen entrance when he heard Rosa's voice. She walked to the table with the twins and Ginny. It didn't escape his notice that Rosa and George held hands.

_Wonder what Mrs. Weasley thinks of that._

Considering what Fleur was like, he wouldn't be surprised if Mrs. Weasley dragged Rosa and George into the living room right now, started planning their wedding and insisting Rosa call her mom . . . or mum.

"Perfect timing, guys. Our favorite Chosen One was brainstorming this problem all night long. So pull up a chair and let's hear what he has to say."

The newcomers took their seats, their attention squarely on Harry Potter. He sucked on his lower lip, drew a breath, and started.

"Well, it's like Jimmy said. They're just theories. I mean, I could be wrong."

"Or you could be spot on." Ginny gave him a supportive smile. "So why don't you do what Jimmy says and fill us all in."

Harry noticeably sat up straighter. His eyes lingered on Ginny for a few moments before he spoke. "Um, well. You guys," he looked around at the Americans, "said that these Chupacabra almost never get over four feet tall. So, I thought, maybe Voldemort used a Growth Potion on it."

A long whistle escaped Bill's lips. "I don't know, Harry. A Growth Potion is extremely difficult to brew. One of the main ingredients is three strands of hair from the head of a giant. It's not like they're going to give that up voluntarily."

"Yeah, we learned about that potion in our Fifth Year," Jared stated. "We never brewed it because our teacher could never get enough giant hairs for the whole class, so we just wrote an essay on it."

"I remember that." O'Bannon nodded. "One of the best grades I ever got in Potions. I can write about them, no prob. Mixing them, however . . ."

"Yeah." Jared broke into a huge grin. "I bet if you tried mixing a Growth Potion, you would have blown up half of Salem."

"Blow this, dipstick." O'Bannon flipped him the bird.

"Jimmy!" Mrs. Weasley glowered at him, hands on her hips.

"Huh? Oh. Um, sorry, Mrs. Weasley." He lowered his head and stared at the table cloth.

"It may be tough for most wizards to get giant hair," Harry continued, "but not Voldemort, since he's been recruiting them."

"Harry does have a good point," Ginny noted.

Harry swallowed visibly as he stared at her.

"It's certainly worth taking a look at." Mr. Weasley turned to Harry. "I'll bring it up with Remus."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley."

"So is that your only theory?" Ginny canted her head. "You said you stayed up half the night thinking. You must have more."

"Yes, well, something else has been bothering me. No one mentioned any damaged to the Diggorys' house."

"Well, there was some overturned furniture and busted knickknacks," Rosa informed him. "But nothing real bad."

"That's not what I meant. I mean, damage to the outside. Like windows or doors."

"No." Artimus shook his head. "They were all intact."

"So how did the Chupacabra get in?" He scanned the people at the table, as if hoping one of them would suddenly provide the correct answer.

"I seriously doubt the Diggorys would have opened the door and invited this thing in for tea and crumpets," Jared said.

"Could it have Apparated inside?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Not a chance." Rosa shook her head. "The only beings that can Apparate are humans and elves. Even so, all magical households have wards that prevent anyone from Apparating directly inside."

Harry slowly bobbed his head from side to side. "What about walking through walls, like ghosts do."

"Oo!" O'Bannon's hand snapped up. "Or more like Kitty Pryde from the X-Men."

Everyone in the kitchen gave him perplexed looks.

"Oh. Um, it's a Muggle comic book. She can phase and walk through solid objects."

"I do know there were some wizards and witches centuries ago who tried to come up with spells to do just that."

All eyes turned to Bill as he continued. "There was a lot of trial and error, and the error part was, um, rather messy. After a while they abandoned the idea all together. Never heard of anyone else picking up where they left off."

"I wouldn't put it past Voldemort to try and perfect a spell like that." Harry slumped in his seat. "I wish Hermione were here. I bet she'd be able to figure this out."

O'Bannon noticed Ron stopped chewing his food at the mention of the bushy-haired know-it-all's name.

"Well then," Ginny piped up. "Why don't we bring here?"

Ron's eyes widened. Ginny folded her arms and fixed her brother with a sly gaze.

O'Bannon's eyes darted back and forth between the two. He thought back to Ginny's statement a couple days ago about how Ron and Hermione had the hots for one another. Given the guy's mortified expression at Ginny's suggestion, he wondered if there could be something to this.

He closed his eyes and winced. Ron and Hermione. For the life of him he couldn't comprehend it. You couldn't get more polar opposite than those two. If by some quirk of universal fate those two ever became an item, what was next? Dean Thomas and . . . Pansy Parkinson?

"Well, brilliant as Hermione is," Mr. Weasley began, "the Order does have people older and more experienced who are looking into this matter."

"Still, where's the harm in bringing her in?" O'Bannon shrugged.

Jared's brow furrowed. "Seriously, Jimmy? I thought you didn't like her."

"I never said I didn't like her. Okay, we never hung out when I was at Hogwarts, and there were times she was a pain in the a . . ." He glanced at Mrs. Weasley, who shot him a stern look. "Um . . . butt. Anyway, regardless how I feel about her, you gotta admit the girl's a brainiac. Even some of the kids and teachers at Hogwarts called her 'the brightest witch of her age.'"

Rosa snorted. "Yeah, and if you don't believe it you can just ask her."

"Oh, Rosa." Ginny frowned at her. "You really should give Hermione a chance. She's actually a wonderful person once you get to know her."

Rosa just rolled her eyes. O'Bannon doubted she had any desire to get to know Hermione. He remembered back to the Longathian Tunnel affair how both girls vehemently butted heads on how to deal with the security trolls outside Umbridge's office. They could have argued forever if he hadn't have stepped in.

"Anyway," O'Bannon pressed on. "Even though she's around our age, Hermione always struck me as . . . well, drawing a parallel with the Muggle world, she's like those whiz kids I see in news stories every once in a while. You know, the ones who graduate from MIT when they're sixteen or seventeen."

Everyone gave him queer looks.

"What's M-I-T?" Ron asked.

"'Mit', isn't it?" George responded. "But I thought it was spelled with two T's. And why would Muggles graduate from a big glove?"

O'Bannon slapped his forehead. "M-I-T. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It's probably one of the best schools in the world when it comes to science and engineering."

"_Tick-nil-gee? Injin-ring?" _Mr. Weasley leaned forward, his eyes lit up. "So do they have all sorts of Muggle gadgets there? Do you think you could get hold of some of them? Or send me photographs, perhaps? Or maybe a tour . . ."

Mrs. Weasley slapped her husband upside the head. "Arthur! Focus!"

"Sorry, dear." He gave his wife a sheepish look.

"What can it hurt?" O'Bannon shrugged. "It's one more person who can help. And right now I think we need all the help we can get."

"I don't think we should be dragging the younger ones into this." Molly shook her head.

"Sure." Ginny's forehead wrinkled. "Just keep us locked away in our rooms, playing Exploding Snap, while everyone else does the important work."

"Oh, listen to you." Mrs. Weasley fixed her gaze on her daughter. "Fight a few Death Eaters at the Ministry and you think you can do anything. How many times do I have to remind you that you were all bloody well lucky to come out of that alive?" She shot brief glances at Harry and Ron as she spoke.

"Look, Mrs. Weasley," O'Bannon said. "I'm not talking about sending Hermione out in the field. We can put her in a room here, fill it with books and let her research away to her heart's content. And Harry, Ginny and Ron can help her, too."

Harry and Ginny nodded so adamantly he thought the two would snap their necks. He couldn't blame them. Those two had been chomping at the bit since day one to help out in some way. He figured Ron felt the same, though he only grunted in agreement with his sister and best friend.

Mrs. Weasley folded her arms and worked her jaw back and forth. Seconds later she exhaled loudly. "All right, then. But just research, nothing more. Understand?"

Everyone nodded.  
Satisfied, Mrs. Weasley unfolded her arms. "Right then. I guess I'd better fix up another cot."

**XXXXX**

O'Bannon and Artimus Disapparated behind a row of hedges along a residential street in Keynsham, just outside Bristol. He peered around the hedges and scanned the neighborhood. Brick houses, most of them two stories, lined the street. He glanced at the sign post to his left. DAVERFORD LANE.

"This is it." He waved for Artimus to follow.

The two strode down the sidewalk. O'Bannon constantly checked around him. He didn't really expect You-Know-Who or any of his Death Eaters to pop up in the middle of a Muggle neighborhood in the middle of the morning, but as the fake Moody constantly stressed at his Defense Against the Dark Arts class at Hogwarts, "Constant Vigilance!"

The house numbers ascended as they continued down the street. 611, 613, 615.

They slowed when they passed 615 Daverford Lane. O'Bannon didn't even bother checking the numbers of the next house. The mailbox at the end of the driveway boasted a hand-carved wooden sign with blue and white images of what he assumed to be tooth fairies surrounding two words.

THE GRANGERS.

"How appropriate." He grinned and shook his head at the sign.

"What do you mean?" Artimus shot him a perplexed look.

"The sign with the tooth fairies." He pointed to it. "Hermione's parents are both dentists."

"What are dentists?"

"They fix teeth . . . or pull them out."

"They pull out teeth?" Artimus' eyes widened. "Why in the world would they do that?"

"Well, if a tooth is loose or something they gotta pull it out. And speaking from experience it can be kinda painful."

"And Muggles go to these dentist people willingly?" Artimus gaped. "They have to be out of their minds."

"It ain't the most fun thing in the world, but sometimes you gotta do it. C'mon. Let's go see if they're home."

They bounded up the small flight of steps. O'Bannon pressed the door bell and stepped back.

The seconds passed. The door remained closed.

He tried the door bell again. _C'mon, Herms._

Still no one opened the door.

"Looks like no one's home," Artimus said. "What now?"

"Come back later, I guess. They gotta come home eventually."

They started down the steps.

"Are you two looking for the Grangers?"

They looked to the right. An elderly woman with a pale wrinkled face peered overtop the hedges bordering the Grangers' front yard.

O'Bannon opened his mouth and froze. One word and he'd give himself away as an American. He doubted this neighborhood got a lot of teenage visitors from the States. It didn't matter that the people here knew nothing about the current Wizarding War. He and his friends were supposed to keep their presence in Britain on the QT, not do anything to stand out.

_Well then, I'll just blend in._

"Yes, we are," he responded in the best British accent he could muster. "We're friends of Hermione's from school. Just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought we'd pop in for a quick hello."

"Oh what rotten luck on your part." The elderly neighbor frowned. "They're not at home."

"Do you know when they'll be back?"

"Not for another week, dear. The family's gone on holiday. Spain, I believe."

"Oh." His face fell. _What rotten luck indeed. _"Well then. I guess we'll just see Hermione when we get back to school, then. Thank you, ma'am. Cheerio."

The woman smiled back at them.

O'Bannon turned and started back down the walkway, followed by Artimus. They waited until they got halfway down the block before talking.

"So much for this brilliant plan," he spoke in his normal Boston-accented voice.

"Yeah. By the way, Jimmy. That was a really good British accent."

"Thanks. It's really not that hard to do after you've lived in this country for nearly a year. And also years of watching _Doctor Who _and _Monty Python _doesn't hurt."

"So what do we do now?"

"Soldier on without her." O'Bannon shrugged. "Not much we can do."

"We could send her a patronus message. Spain should be just within range for one."

"Unfortunately, there are a lot of problems with that. What if Hermione and her parents are around other Muggles when the patronus shows up? Also, I don't think Mr. and Mrs. Granger would react very well to us asking their daughter to help track down some bloodthirsty monster."

"Oh, yeah. You're right." Artimus frowned and hung his head.

O'Bannon twisted his lips. He hated shooting down Art like that. The poor guy grew up with a father and two older brothers who did nothing but question his worth as a human being. No surprise he was lacking in the self-esteem department. But Art had made strides in that area over the last year, holding his own in their battles in Ovenderburg and here in England, and telling his father to piss up a rope – not his exact words – when that jagoff ordered him to come work for the family business. Despite those strides, Artimus still didn't take it well when someone told him he was wrong, even though O'Bannon did it in a much more constructive and respectful way than Ulysses Rand ever could.

"Don't worry about it." He slapped Artimus on the shoulder. "Any other time we probably could have done it."

A brief smile crossed his lips.

They walked in silence until they reached the hedge row at the intersection they'd Disapparated behind. That's when Artimus turned to him. "I really wish Hermione had been home. As smart as you say she is, she probably would have figured something out."

"Maybe. But since she's not around, I guess we go back to throwing out every wild ass theory we can and see what sticks."

"You don't think Harry's theories were good?"

O'Bannon's head bobbed from side to side. "Who knows? Maybe he's on to something, maybe not. I don't know. We'll probably have to wait until Lupin and Hagrid are finished examining the Chupacabra we killed. I can't believe it's taking them this long."

"I know. I'm curious to know how it could have gotten into the house before it set off any of the wards. I mean, yeah, regular Chupacabra can get through a lot of typical household wards because they're considered pests, not dark creatures. Sort of like garden gnomes."

O'Bannon nodded. He drew a breath and stared at the ground, mulling over Artimus' words.

"Jimmy? Jimmy! You okay?"

His head snapped up. Artimus gazed at him with a bewildered look. "What is it?"

"What you said about Chupacabra. How they're like garden gnomes, that they can get past a lot of wards. What if that's why You-Know-Who wanted these things in the first place? Crap! The Guild totally got this wrong. I'll bet you anything You-Know-Who wasn't planning to use them to just kill cows and goats and ramp up the fear level in this country. He wanted to turn them into some kind of super killing machine. The kind that can slip past most wards to get at their victims."

Artimus let out a slow whistle. "Imagine what he could do with creatures like that."

"Yeah. Scary, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but . . . uh . . ."

O'Bannon canted his head, waiting for Artimus to continue. When he didn't, he rotated his hands in front of him. "C'mon, Art. Out with it."

"It's just . . . I mean, if You-Know-Who transformed the Chupacabra from a pest to something that can kill wizards, that would have taken a lot of dark magic. That Chupacabra would become a dark creature. Then the wards around the Diggorys' house would have picked it up a lot sooner than they did. We . . . we might have been able to save them."

O'Bannon looked off to the side, thinking. "What if these Super Chupacabra have some way to conceal whatever dark magic made them the way they are?"

"I don't know, Jimmy. Concealing dark magic is next to impossible. I mean, I remember some curses discussed in Magical Theory class that might be able to do that, but none of them were ever proven to work."

"And remember History of Magic. How many spells and curses did You-Know-Who come up with during the first war that a lot of people said were impossible to do?"

"Yeah. I guess if there is someone who could successfully conceal dark magic it's him."

"Comforting thought, isn't it?" O'Bannon frowned. "Aw well, just a couple more theories we can run by Lupin or Tonks, see what they think. Way to go, man."

"Thanks, Jimmy." Artimus smiled wide.

O'Bannon returned the grin before the two Apparated back to the Burrow. They just started to the front door when Mr. Weasley came out.

"Sorry, Mr. Weasley," O'Bannon said. "Looks like Hermione and her family are on vacation. No way we can reach them now."

"No need to worry. You're timing is impeccable. I was just about to contact you by patronus."

"What's up?" A second after he asked that, several sharp cracks split the air around him and Artimus. Rosa, Jared and the twins suddenly appeared. They were followed seconds later by Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody.

"It appears Remus has found out quite a bit about these altered Chupacabra. Even better, we may have found a way to kill them."

O'Bannon drew an excited breath. Finally, some good news.

"Everyone, inside." Mr. Weasley waved them forward. "We're about to have a special Order meeting."

They hurried down the dirt path and into the Burrow, making a bee line for the kitchen. Mr. Weasley was the first to enter, followed by O'Bannon. He spotted Remus Lupin standing at the other end of the table. Next to him was an enormous man with dark hair and a thick beard.

"Hagrid!"

"'ello there, Jimmy. Been a while since I've seen you."

He was about to say something else when he detected another figure beside the half-giant. His chest clenched when he noticed the black robes, the pale unsmiling face, and the black greasy hair.

_No . . . friggin' . . . way._

Glaring at him from across the kitchen was none other than Professor Severus Snape.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_The Dean/Pansy reference is my little shout out to WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot and her fic "Living In Hell." If you haven't checked this story out, do so!_


	15. The Dividing Line

**CHAPTER 15: THE DIVIDING LINE**

* * *

"You," Snape hissed, his beady dark eyes aimed squarely at O'Bannon.

He stiffened his face and matched his old Potions teacher's gaze. "Professor. How's your head feeling these days?"

Anger lines dug into Snape's face. The reaction didn't surprise O'Bannon. The last time they'd crossed paths he'd yanked the professor into the path of a Stunning Spell, which nailed him right in the head.

"Two days. That's how long I spent in St. Mungo's because of you." Venom dripped from every word that oozed from Snape's lips.

O'Bannon shrugged. "It would have been zero days if you'da just gotten me in touch with Headmaster Dumbledore. We probably could have shut down that Longathian Tunnel a lot quicker and spared everyone a ton of stress."

Snape spread his hands flat on the table and leaned forward. "Be grateful we happen to be on the same side, O'Bannon, otherwise I would curse you until you were a drooling, quivering lump of flesh."

"Save the intimidation crap for someone you can actually scare, like a kindergartner."

Snape's entire body trembled. A sneer marred his face.

O'Bannon shot him a wry grin.

"Come on now, Severus." Lupin turned to him. "We have more important matters here than a grudge against a former student."

Snape glowered at him, but said nothing.

Everyone took their seats.

"Firstly," Lupin began. "My apologies that this took so long. We had to do a lot of research in order to determine how this creature was altered."

"What sort of research?" asked Rosa.

"I'll get to that." Lupin paused for a breath. "We did confirm that this creature is indeed a Chupacabra. As for its altered state, the examination Hagrid and I did revealed rather powerful dark magic throughout it, curses I've never encountered before."

O'Bannon's eyebrows rose. From what his British friends told him, Lupin was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher they ever had. These curses had to be something mega-serious to stump him.

Lupin continued. "So, I had Hagrid go back to Hogwarts and fetch some books from the library's Restricted Section. After some extensive research, we determined that this Chupacabra had within it variations of the Vitiosus Potion, the Blood Lust Potion and the Demonica Curse."

"I've never even heard of those things," Tonks noted.

"Not surprising. A dark wizard named Mechinen came up with them about nine hundred years ago. He sought to raise an army and conquer the British Isles, but harbored a deep mistrust of all men. So he captured animals and used those potions and that curse to turn them into monsters whose ferociousness was unmatched. But he couldn't control his creations and they turned on him. As a result, the Vitiosus Potion, the Blood Lust Potion and the Demonica Curse were all banned."

"I guess someone forgot to tell You-Know-Who that." Fred frowned.

Lupin nodded. "Not only that, but it would seem You-Know-Who even improved on the potions and the curse so the Chupacabra would obey him."

"Well that's great." O'Bannon shook his head. "Now he doesn't have to recruit as hard. He can just grab some critters and _voila, _instant army."

"Makes you wonder why he set those things on those cows we found a few days ago," Jared said.

"I'll tell yer why," replied Hagrid, who remained standing as none of the chairs in the kitchen would support his girth. "It's instinct, is what. Yer can use all the magic yer wan', turn a pest like these Chupacabra inter utter monsters, but it's hard to get rid'a generations 'pon generations of instinct ter go after their usual prey."

"Something else we also discovered," Lupin said. "More magic I've never seen before, and curses that honestly frighten me to the core. It would appear You-Know-Who has actually found a way to conceal the dark magic in these creatures."

The breath stuck in O'Bannon's throat. He turned to Artimus, who gaped at him.

"No way." O'Bannon turned back to Lupin. "Me and Art were talking about that when we went to get Hermione. By the way, she and her folks are in Spain on vacation. Anyway, he said curses like that were next to impossible."

"For the vast majority of wizards. Unfortunately, You-Know-Who has a talent for conjuring impossible spells and curses."

"Yeah, that's what I said, too."

"The good news, though, is this concealment spell is flawed. From the looks of it, I believe the spell would only be good for a few seconds before any security wards pick it up."

"Sometimes a few seconds is all the other side needs to get the job done," Moody grumbled.

"Well said, Alastor." Lupin nodded at the old auror.

"All right." Fred sat up. "So now we know what made these Chupacabra so big and vicious. "Now how's about answering the big question?"

"How do we kill 'em?" George finished.

"That's where Severus comes in." Lupin turned to him.

Snape straightened up, lifting his head, adopting that damned air of superiority so common to Slytherins. "As is usually the case, the best solutions are often the simplest. By using parts of the Chupacabra O'Bannon, by some miracle, managed to kill, I can brew a Pest Elimination Potion."

"Bloody hell," Fred guffawed. "You came all the way from Hogwarts to tell us that?"

"Even we can mix a potion like that." George jerked his thumb back and forth between him and his twin.

"I was not finished, Weasley." Snape narrowed his eyes at the twins. "Some modifications to the mixture must be made before it is dispensed."

"Dispensed how?" asked Fred.

"Maybe we can put it into bottles and give it to the Chupacabra, but tell them it's really fire whiskey," George chortled.

"If you two would shut your mouths for two seconds I will explain." Snape's shoulders rose with an angry breath. "Once I have enough of the potion brewed, we can saturate the ground where cows or sheep or other farm animals graze. It won't harm the animal that ingests it, but it will make it poisonous to any Chupacabra that eats it."

"Turning cows into weapons. Cool." Jared grinned and nodded. "Looks like we've got this problem licked."

"Actually, farm animals won't be the only ones we give this potion to." Lupin leaned back in his chair, dropping his chin to his chest.

O'Bannon cocked an eyebrow. What the heck was this about?

Snape glanced at Lupin and rolled his eyes. "Since the Chupacabra have been altered to make them more aggressive towards people, then it stands to reason we also administer the potion to people."

O'Bannon's muscles froze. Mr. Weasley's jaw fell open. Fred and George stared at one another with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Give it . . . to people?" Artimus' voice sounded distant.

"Are you hard of hearing?" Snape scowled at him. "Obviously He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is more interested in using the Chupacabra to kill people, not animals. Giving this potion to the wizarding population might be our only chance of killing them."

"You actually want to turn people into two-legged bio-weapons?" O'Bannon came forward in his chair.

"Spare me your righteous indignation, O'Bannon." Snape regarded him coolly. "If the attack on the Diggorys is any indication, these Chupacabra will likely target wizards and witches in the more outlying areas of Britain. So giving those people the potion must be our top priority."

"And are we going to ask them if they _want _to take it?"

He noticed Lupin and Hagrid cast their eyes to the floor. A knot formed in his gut.

Snape continued. "I would suspect most wizards and witches would have the same _irrational_ reaction as you. Therefore, it will be necessary to slip them this potion _without_ their knowledge."

"You have to be joking!" Fred blurted.

"So we're going to make these people into our pawns and not even tell them about it?" O'Bannon furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Does anyone else here besides me and Fred think this is friggin' wrong?"

"Spare me your sentimentality, O'Bannon. There's no place for it when we're trying to stop the most powerful dark wizard in history from taking over the world."

"No place for being sentimental? Well, forgive me. Let's get rid of our sentiments. Hell, while we're at it, let's just chuck out our morals and our compassion and everything else that makes us human."

"This is war, lad," growled Moody. "And sometimes you have to do rather distasteful things in order to win."

"Well I think this is going too far."

"Nobody asked you what you think." Snape practically roared. "The decision is not yours, it's ours. And we will do this."

"_You_ can do it." O'Bannon jabbed a finger at Snape. "_I won't!"_

"You will do whatever we tell you to do."

"Like hell. I don't work for the Order of the Phoenix. So unless you plan on using an Imperius Curse, I'm not doing this."

Snape's head quaked with fury. "If you are too squeamish to do what is necessary to defeat He-Who-Must-Be-Named, then leave!"

"Oh, so that's how it is." O'Bannon threw up his hands. "Someone disagrees with a plan like this, and your solution is to shut them up. Just squash dissent. The kind of thing You-Know-Who will do if he wins."

Snape glared at him.

O'Bannon looked around at the others. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I always thought the job of the Guild of the Light _and _the Order of the Phoenix was to _protect_ innocent people, not turn them into weapons. And sure as hell not tell them we're turning them into weapons."

"Jimmy." Lupin spoke in a soft tone. "I don't like it either. But I think Severus is right. We're not asking these people to parade around as bait for the Chupacabra. But it's all too likely that these creatures will kill more witches and wizards. We need to be ready for that."

"Then just ask them to take the potion. Tell them your reasoning and let them decide for themselves whether or not they want to take it. Don't decide for them. Hell, isn't freedom one of the things we're supposed to be fighting for?"

"Your idealism isn't going to win this war." Snape curled his upper lip. "Action will. Doing whatever is necessary to kill these Chupacabra will. Or perhaps you'd rather have everyone in this room adopt your naiveté and allow these creatures to run amuck in Britain and have He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named reign supreme. Now if you're finished spewing your nonsense, why don't you run along and find Potter. The two of you can bask in the glory of your altruism while more _responsible _people fight this war properly."

O'Bannon slammed his fist on the table. "'Properly'?" He shot out of his cheer, seething at Snape. "You call forcing this potion on your own population proper?"

"_Sit . . . down . . . now!"_ Snape rose, his narrow eyes locked on O'Bannon.

"Or what? You gonna give me detention? Take points away from Gryffindor House? This isn't your classroom, and I'm not your student any more. So shut your pie hole!"

Both Fred and George's jaws dropped.

O'Bannon's head snapped left to right, taking in the Order and Guild members. "We do this, what's next? Maybe kidnap the children of Death Eaters and use 'em as bargaining chips? Maybe overthrow the Ministry because they're not doing things the way we want? At what point do we start to become no better than the people we're fighting?"

"Oh, what lovely sentiment." Snape again rolled his eyes. "Here is another one. Sometimes a few innocents must be sacrificed in order to save millions. _That_ is the reality you need to accept."

O'Bannon snorted. "When you say stuff like that, I find it hard to believe you're actually fighting _against _You-Know-Who. Heh! You know, it's no wonder you're still single. What woman would ever want to have anything to do with a cold-hearted bastard like you!"

A tremor raced through Snape's body. His face twisted. His eyes burned with such hatred a Killing Curse could have shot out from them.

"I . . . will not . . . tolerate . . . your . . . insolence. . . _any longer!"_

Snape reached under his robes.

O'Bannon went for his wand.

"DON'T YOU DARE!"

They both turned to Mrs. Weasley. Unbridled fury radiated from her plump face. "We've got more than our work cut out for us fighting You-Know-Who. We don't need to be fighting each other! AND YOU WILL NOT BE FIGHTING IN MY HOUSE!"

She glowered at both him and Snape. "Now the two of you sit down and act like civilized adults!"

Snape scowled at him. He scowled back before they both returned to their seats.

"Well I'm with Jimmy." Fred slapped the table. "Giving this potion to people without telling them about it is rubbish."

"No one asked for your opinion, Weasley."

"Too bad, Snape. You're going to get it anyway."

"Mine, too." George looked to Fred and O'Bannon. "And you can count me in with you guys."

"This is not open for a vote," Snape growled. "The decision has been made."

"Well the decision stinks!" Fred shot his old Potions teacher a harsh stare.

"I couldn't care less what you think, Weasley."

"Well I do," Mr. Weasley responded. "It's obvious some here have a moral objection to this course of action. I think it only proper that we go around the table and find out who is for giving the potion to people, and who is against it. Those against won't have to do it."

"You can't be serious." The skin around Snape's nose wrinkled. "For something like this we need all the Order members we can muster."

"I understand, Snape." Determination set in Mr. Weasley's face. "We're already forcing one decision on the Wizarding population. Let's not force another one on the people in this room. Let's at least do something . . . virtuous in this dreadful affair."

"So now we let Order members pick and choose what missions they go on?" Snape leaned toward Mr. Weasley. "You've reached a whole new height of idiocy, Arthur."

"Oi! Don't call our Dad an idiot, you greasy-haired piece of dung!" Fred leaped out of his seat. George followed suit. O'Bannon sat back, content to watch the twins pound Snape through the floorboards.

"Fred! George! Sit! Right now!" Mrs. Weasley stabbed her finger toward the floor. She then spun toward Snape. "And you. If you _ever _insult my husband again, I will personally throw you out of my house!"

Snape moved his jaw back and forth. Wisely, he kept his mouth shut.

"I agree with Arthur," Lupin stated.

"So do I." Moody nodded. "I don't want anyone on this mission who's not fully committed to it."

"Right then." Arthur gazed around the table. "Let's get started."

"I agree with dispensing the potion to the Wizarding population." Lupin didn't make eye contact with anyone.

"Me too." Hagrid sighed and stared at his boots.

"We'll give it to the farm animals," Fred said. "But not people."

George nodded.

"Ditto," added O'Bannon.

Bill's shoulders slumped. "I'm . . . I'm afraid I have to go along with Lupin on this."

Fred and George glowered at their oldest brother.

"I don't see where we have any choice," Moody said confidently. "We have to slip this potion to the population."

Artimus stared at his hands as he rubbed them together. "I'm . . . um, I'm going along with Jimmy."

O'Bannon smiled.

"Count me in with Jimmy and the twins." Tonks looked their way. "I think making people into weapons is going too far."

O'Bannon's heart soared knowing Tonks was on his side.

Arthur's face fell as he looked around the table. "Much as it pains me to say, I'm afraid I'll have to side with Remus and Snape on this one."

"Dad!" Fred blurted. "You've got to be joking."

"No, I'm not. Remus said it. We're not going to use anyone as bait. But given how these Chupacabra are, it's inevitable they'll attack someone else. This might be our only way to get rid of them."

Mrs. Weasley stepped over to her husband and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know this decision can't be easy for you, Arthur. I wish there was another way, too. But I'll stand by you."

The twins snorted and shook their heads.

That left two other people.

O'Bannon turned to Rosa and Jared. The cousins stared at one another, then moved their gazes to the rest of the group. He was a bit surprised they hadn't spoken up earlier. Well, whatever. He had no doubt which side of the argument they came down on.

Rosa drew a breath and stared at the table. "I . . . I'm going along with Mister Lupin on this."

"Yeah." Jared gave an unenthused nod. "Me too."

"What!" O'Bannon blinked in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

"I'm sorry, Jimmy." Rosa eyes begged him to understand. "But all our searching is getting us nowhere. I wish it didn't come to this either. But now that we know what sort of threat these Chupacabra are, we've gotta do whatever it takes to stop them."

O'Bannon's jaw tightened. He glared at Rosa, then at Jared, who just stared at his lap.

_I don't believe it._ He'd known these two for well over seven years. He knew them to be good, decent people. He'd seen them stand up to bullies at Salem to protect younger, weaker students. When he returned from Hogwarts and told them about Dumbledore's request to help in the fight against Voldemort, Jared and Rosa jumped at the chance, because they knew it was the right thing to do.

How could they now do something so wrong?

O'Bannon clenched his teeth as the meeting ended with Snape announcing he would return in a few hours with a batch of improved Pest Elimination Potion. He, Fred and George aimed fiery gazes at the asshole as he strutted toward the front door. What he wouldn't give to get just one blow in on that damn unfeeling prick.

"Hey, Jimmy." Jared walked up to him, followed by Rosa. "Look, I know you're not thrilled with this plan, but . . ."

He stormed off before Jared could finish. He spotted Harry, Ron and Ginny gathered around the bottom of the staircase.

"What was going on in there?" asked Ron. "We could hear the yelling clear upstairs."

O'Bannon stomped past him without a word and headed upstairs.

"Jimmy? Yo, Jimmy!"

"Jimmy, come on."

He ignored Jared and Rosa. He just couldn't believe it. How the hell could they back something like this? How the hell could he have misjudged them so badly?

"Jimmy!" Jared called out as O'Bannon pounded into the twins' room.

"Jimmy!"

He spun around to face Rosa.

"Jimmy, come on. Don't be like this."

He drew a slow, deep breath and stared at Rosa, taking in her pleading expression.

He slammed the door in her face.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	16. True Feelings

**CHAPTER 16: ****TRUE FEELINGS**

* * *

Rosa sat on the edge of her bed, squeezing her intertwined fingers. Part of her wanted to stay in Ginny's room and not go downstairs for breakfast. The tension that gripped this house after yesterday's meeting hadn't abated one bit before she turned in. Dinner had been one of the quietest meals she'd experienced since coming to the Burrow, even quieter than the night after the Diggorys' deaths. Fred and George barely talked. Jimmy hadn't said a word, just sat brooding the entire time, determinedly ignoring everyone else at the table.

Especially her.

George, at least, acknowledged her existence. She closed her eyes and hung her head, remembering the scene outside Ginny's room before she went to bed. George gave her a rather flat, "Good night," and a quick kiss on the cheek. The cheek! No funny little comments, no mouth wide open and fingers going through her hair.

_Is he mad at me, too? _

"Rosa? You all right?"

She looked up to find Ginny standing over her. Her lips parted, ready to answer, "I'm fine."

The words died on her tongue. Why lie? Ginny would see right through it. Anyone would.

"No. No I'm not."

Ginny sat next to her and gently grasped her wrist. "Does it have anything to do with that Order meeting yesterday?"

"It has everything to do with it." She turned to her. "Does everyone really think I wanted to agree to that plan? Slipping that potion to people without their knowledge? Does everyone think I don't care that we're crossing a line? But after what the Chupacabra did to the Diggorys . . . I can't let that happen to more wizards or witches. This might be our only way of avoiding a total bloodbath. You have to believe me, I wish I could come up with another way."

"I do believe you, Rosa. Honestly, though, I disagree with this plan of Snape's, but I do understand your side of it, and I know even though you agreed to it, you're not happy about it."

"Thanks, Ginny." She smiled at her. "I just wish Jimmy and George and Fred were as understanding as you."

"Come on now. They're boys. You know how thick they are."

Rosa softly chuckled.

"Look." Ginny squeezed her wrist. "Fred and George are a lot of things, but they're not ones to hold a grudge. Before you know it, George will be back to telling you about whatever inane things he finds interesting and trying to pull you into Dad's shed and snog you."

Rosa managed a smile at that. "Yeah, you're probably right about George. Jimmy, on the other hand . . ." She clenched her jaw for a moment. "I'm sure you saw how stubborn he could be when he was at Hogwarts. I mean, I love him, but there are times he just pisses me off with this 'my way or the high road,' or however that Muggle phrase goes, philosophy he has."

"You know he'll come round, too. Despite his faults, Jimmy's a good guy. You two have been friends, what, over seven years now? You think that's going to end over this? I've seen my idiot brother Ron get hacked off at Harry or Hermione and go _months _without speaking to them. But in the end, they always make up."

"Thanks, Ginny." Rosa smiled and hugged her.

"Now, how about we head down for breakfast? I'm starving."

Both girls rose from the bed and went downstairs.

Just as with dinner last night, silence hung over the table for breakfast. Rosa frowned when she noticed Jimmy, Fred and George sitting as far away from the others as possible.

"Morning," she greeted everyone.

"Morning, Rosa." Artimus looked up and gave her a quick grin.

A spark of joy leapt from her heart. At least Artimus remained on speaking terms with her. Not that it surprised her. Anger and Artimus just didn't go together.

"Hey, Rosa." George flashed her a smile and went back to eating.

She halted. A lump crept into her throat. She swallowed against it and stared at George. Yes, he'd greeted her, but his tone was far from enthusiastic. Judging from the way he focused all his attention on his food, she wondered if he even wanted her sitting near him.

_Does he not like me any more?_

She noticed Fred just nod at her as she took a seat on the other side of the table.

Jimmy flat out ignored her.

Sighing, she scooped some eggs and sausage onto her plate and poured herself some pumpkin juice. She picked up the glass and took another look across the table at Jimmy. He shoveled food into his mouth, eyes locked on his plate.

_Enough of this._ "Jimmy?"

He responded by stuffing a spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth.

"Jimmy!"

He looked up, annoyance plastered on his face. "Yeah?"

"I said good morning to you."

"Uh-huh." He lowered his head and jammed another spoonful of oatmeal in his mouth.

Rosa's jaw clenched. She squeezed the glass so hard her hand shook. She sucked down a deep breath. The urge boiled inside her to scream at Jimmy, to tell him to stop being an idiot, to understand her view even if he didn't agree with it, to treat her as the friend she'd been to him for over seven years.

Instead he just continued to eat.

Rosa slammed her glass on the table. Pumpkin juice sloshed over the side. She shot to her feet, ignoring the shocked stares from everyone at the table, and stormed out the back door.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She gritted her teeth, willing the tears to stay in her eyes.

_Damn you, Jimmy. You stupid, thick-headed, insensitive son-of-a-bitch._

She stopped by the chicken coop, hugging herself. Was this it? Was her friendship with Jimmy over? Sure they'd had disagreements before, but had any of them been over something as serious as how to use this Pest Elimination Potion? He'd been so passionate about his position, so dug-in with his resistance. Could he ever forgive anyone who agreed to Snape's plan?

"Rosa?"

She spun around.

George stood a few feet away, a sullen look on his face.

"I figured you'd be back in the house with Jimmy and Fred coming up with ways you all can stay pissed off at me."

"I'm not . . ." George shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm not pissed off at you."

"You couldn't fool me. Ever since that meeting you've barely said more than five words to me. And that kiss good night you gave me? Merlin's sake, you acted like it was something you _had_ to do, not something you _wanted _to do."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You guess?" Rosa flung her arms out to her side.

"Sorry, Rosa. Okay? I'm sorry. But this plan, to give this potion to people without their knowledge, it just infuriates me."

"You think I like it? Did you see me jumping up and down and cheering for it? I don't want to do this. I hate it! But if it stops the Chupacabra from killing more witches and wizards, then we have no choice."

She closed her eyes and took a breath. "I'm not asking you to agree with me. I'm just asking you to understand my position. Please, George."

George worked his jaw back and forth. "I'm sorry, Rosa. You're right. I should have been more understanding and not been so . . . so awful to you."

"Apology accepted." She snorted. "I just wish Jimmy would come to whatever sense he has and do the same."

"Come on, Rosa. Do you have to bring up Jimmy when it's just you and me here?"

She blinked and did a double-take. "What?"

"Well, it's just . . . here I am, coming out to you to apologize, and as soon as I do, you start talking about Jimmy. In fact, you do bring him up quite a bit when we're together."

Rosa's jaw fell open. "George, what the hell are you talking about? Jimmy's my friend, and yours. Why are you so upset when I . . ."

She gasped in sudden realization. "Oh Merlin, you've got to be kidding me. Are you . . . are you jealous of Jimmy?"

George's lips twisted. He shrugged. "Well, considering how close you two are, there are times when you talk about him that I . . ."

Rosa shook her head to the sky. "George, I swear to you, there is absolutely, positively, not the slightest amount of romantic feelings between me and Jimmy. The guy's like a brother to me. I mean, me dating Jimmy would be like me dating Jared . . . ew."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"No desire to at all to snog him."

"None."

"Not _ever?"_

Rosa sighed and cast her gaze at the ground for a few moments. She chewed on her lower lip and looked back up at him. "Okay. There was this one time when we were thirteen. We were doing homework in the Blazenrowe Hall parlor and we started goofing around and next thing you know, we're in a tickle fight. And there was this moment when we looked at one another and I really thought we were gonna kiss. But we didn't. And a few days later we talked about it and decided we were better off just being friends. That's as close as we ever got to anything remotely romantic."

"You're sure?"

Rosa groaned and looked to the sky in frustration again. "I can't believe we're having this conversation."

"I guess . . . I don't know. I guess I'd like some more reassurance."

She furrowed her brow at him. Her shoulders rose slowly. Determination settled over her face. She marched over to George, cupped his cheeks and crushed his lips with hers.

"Is that reassurance enough?" She stared hard at him.

George drew a staggered breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I think that'll do."

She smiled as George kissed her. Their mouths opened wider. Excitement consumed her as their tongues dueled.

Rosa drew a ragged breath as George kissed her cheek, then her neck. His lips gradually made their way to her right ear. She gasped when George delicately nibbled her lobe.

"By the way, Rosa," he whispered in her ear.

"Yes, George?"

"All that talk about me being jealous of Jimmy . . ." He kissed her behind her ear.

"Uh-huh." She moved her right hand up and down the back of George's head.

"Well . . ." He pecked her ear. "I just made that all up."

"What?" She pulled away from him.

George grinned wide. "I know there's nothing going on with you and Jimmy. I just said it to see if I could get a rise out of you. Looks like I succeeded."

"You . . . you big jerk!" She playfully slapped his chest.

George stumbled back, howling with laughter. "And here I thought you were the smart one of the O'Bannon foursome. Merlin's beard did I have you going."

The corner of Rosa's mouth twitched. "You are going to pay for that, you jackass."

She pulled her wand from her waistband.

"Oh bugger!" George turned and ran.

She let him get about fifteen feet away before easily nailing him with a Trip Jinx. He fell face first into the grass.

Rosa ran at him. George had rolled onto his back when she jumped on top of him and dug her fingers into his sides. He squirmed and laughed. Then his fingers found her sides. She flinched and cackled. They rolled on the grass and filled the air with laughter.

Finally she let him roll her on her back. They both breathed deep, their gazes locked.

"Thank you, George."

"Anytime, luv."

A shudder of delight went through her. "Luv." He'd just called her "luv." And saying it with that British accent of his, Merlin it just made her melt.

George lowered his head toward her. She opened her mouth and readily accepted his.

**XXXXX**

O'Bannon fought to keep his eyes open as Lupin ran down tonight's patrol assignments. His mind battled between paying attention to what the ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had to say, and holding on to his anger at him. Him and everyone else that went along with Snape's damn plan.

"Tonks," Lupin said. "I'm giving you the late shift with Jimmy and Artimus."

He saw the auror nod at that and responded in kind. At least he'd be with two other people who knew slipping wizards and witches a potion without their knowledge was wrong.

_Unlike two of my 'best friends.'_

He could barely even look at Rosa and Jared. It still boggled his mind how they could go along with something like that. He thought they cared about doing the right thing. He thought morality mattered to them.

_Boy, was I wrong._

O'Bannon stared at the table, his eyelids drooping. He didn't get much sleep last night, instead spending most of his time in bed staring at the ceiling thinking about Snape's plan. Anger and disbelief raged through his mind when he thought about the people who backed it. Moody he could understand. That guy's heart probably shriveled up at age six. But Fred and George's parents? And their oldest brother Bill? And Jared and Rosa.

How could people on this side of the war support something like this?

When the meeting broke up, O'Bannon trudged toward the staircase without looking at anyone. He barely noticed Harry, Ron and Ginny sitting in the living room.

"You heading out on patrol now, Jimmy?" Ron asked.

"No. I got the late shift."

"Up for a game of Wizards Chess?"

"No. I'm gonna grab some Zs before I head out."

He headed upstairs, thinking about the cot that awaited him. Thinking about sleep. Thinking about just getting away from people. Especially the ones who . . .

"Ooff!"

He bumped into someone. O'Bannon looked up.

Fleur Delacour stood in front of him, an indignant look on her face. "Watch where you are going. You could 'ave knocked me down."

"Sorry," he grumbled and plodded past her. He pushed open the door to the twins' room, kicked it closed with the back of his foot, and collapsed onto the cot. He closed his eyes, Fleur's throaty voice still echoing inside his head. What he wouldn't give to replace that French witch with another one. Specifically, Mireet Miradeaux. She would be on his side. She would know Snape's plan was wrong.

He just . . . knew . . . it.

His consciousness faded to black.

* * *

_L__ocation: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland._

_Time Frame: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the night of the Yule Ball._

* * *

Euphoria flooded through O'Bannon as he felt Mireet's body press against his. He closed his eyes, savoring the feel of her hair against his head. They slowly danced in a circle to the music filling the Great Hall.

His chest tightened as Mireet's fingers gently rubbed his shoulderblade.

_My God, this is real. I really have Mireet in my arms._

Suddenly, the song ended. Mireet pulled away, taking her time doing so, he noted, and applauded with the rest of the Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. The whole time, her eyes and her bright smile were locked on him.

O'Bannon's legs turned to jelly.

_How did I wind up with a girl this beautiful?_

A harsh guitar cord and the rapid banging of drums exploded throughout the Great Hall as the Weird Sisters went into another song. O'Bannon frowned momentarily, wishing they would play another slow song. Heck, he wished the wizard rock band would play slow songs all night long. He could never get tired of holding Mireet.

Still, he got into the upbeat tempo, gyrating and whipping his head up and down headbanger-style. Mireet swung her arms and swayed her hips. She giggled with pure joy.

Then she reached out and took both his hands. Electricity shot through him as their fingers intertwined. They spun each other around, smiling and laughing.

O'Bannon caught glimpses of the jumping and spinning students around them. Fred and Angelina were dancing so exuberantly several people backed away from them for fear of injury. Susan Bones and Katie Bell howled with laughter as they watched Dean Thomas stiffly move his arms and torso.

"Check that out!" He nodded toward the Fourth Year Gryffindor. "Looks like Dean just introduced the Wizarding World to The Robot."

"What?" Mireet watched Dean with a bemused look. Then, to O'Bannon's surprise, _she_ started doing The Robot. Even better than Dean.

"Go Mireet!" Katie shouted. "Wooooo!"

O'Bannon threw his head back and laughed. Who would have guessed beneath that classy, dignified exterior beat the heart of a party animal?

Not only was Mireet Miradeaux beyond beautiful, she was beyond cool.

Over her shoulder, he caught a glimpse of one of the tables beyond the dance floor. His brow furrowed at the four people sitting there.

_Da'hell?_

Ron Weasley downed a butterbeer, completely oblivious to the dirty looks Padma Patil threw his way. Harry Potter slouched in the seat next to Ron, while Parvati Patil crossed her arms and legs, the expression on her face matching her sister's.

O'Bannon shook his head. _What is wrong with those two?_ Here they were at the Yule Ball with hot Indian twins and they're flat out ignoring them? Didn't they listen to the advice he, Fred, George and Lee gave them earlier today on how they should treat Parvati and Padma if they wanted to get lucky?

_Obviously not._ Harry surprised him the most. For piss sake, he was the Boy Who Lived _and _a Tri-Wizard Champion. Those two things alone should have gotten him to second base with Parvati by now.

_Oh well, I can't worry about those guys. I've got my own woman to focus on._

They continued to dance and laugh and utterly enjoy themselves. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect his year at Hogwarts to be this awesome. He bore witness to history in the making with the first Tri-Wizard Tournament in centuries. He'd formed a hockey club with wizards and witches who hadn't known the first thing about the sport. And now he found himself dancing the night away with a beautiful and classy French witch.

_Yeah, it's good to be Jimmy O'Bannon._

At about five minutes to midnight, Myron Wagtail, The Weird Sisters' lead singer, stepped to the edge of the stage. "Did you lot have a bloody great time tonight!"

O'Bannon and Mireet added their screams to the hundreds of others.

"Yeah!" Wagtail pumped his fist. "You were a great audience! Thank you for having us. We're gonna leave you with our latest song, which thanks to folks like you, is up to Number Four on the WWN Music Chart."

Another slow song filled the Great Hall. O'Bannon's stomach dropped into a black hole. He didn't want this to be the last song. He didn't want this night to end.

"Well . . ." He took Mireet's hand. "Last dance, _Mademoiselle."_

Mireet smiled and drew closer to him. They wrapped their arms around one another and danced cheek-to-cheek . . . or rather, given Mireet's height, cheek to top of head.

He closed his eyes, losing himself in the feel of Mireet's body against his, losing himself in the song, which reminded him a little of some 80's power ballad.

_I thought my search would be in vain._

_I thought nothing would end the pain,_

_In my lonely, lonely heart._

_But that's when I finally found you,_

_And that's when my life did truly start._

He drew a breath, thinking of the first day he met Mireet, of nearly every moment he'd been around her at Hogwarts. Her incredible beauty was just part of the reason he'd fallen for her. She was intelligent and compassionate. She possessed a quiet strength. She didn't have that haughty air of superiority that many of the other Beauxbatons students possessed.

He thought back to the girls he dated at the Salem Witches Institute. Flavia Farnsworth, his first real girlfriend. Penny Nichols, his last girlfriend, who broke up with him via owl mail. Neither of them possessed the . . . depth that Mireet did.

Neither of them made him feel the way he felt now.

He held Mireet tighter as the song continued.

_When I look into your eyes._

_When I feel our hearts collide._

_I know, I know deep within my soul,_

_I fiiiiiinally found perfection._

When the last note of the song faded, the students erupted into wild applause. The Weird Sisters took their bows and headed off the stage.

"This was so wonderful." Mireet beamed. "I cannot wait to write my sister and tell her all about this ball. Thank you for asking me to it."

"Thank you for coming with me."

Mireet's smile grew wider. She took hold of his shoulders and gently kissed his cheeks. His entire body turned to jelly.

Everyone filed out of the Great Hall. He noticed Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones holding hands and smiling at one another. Fred and Angelina talked animatedly. Parvati and Padma Patil strode into the corridor, each one with a male Beauxbatons student on their arm. And Hermione Granger, Hermione _freakin' _Granger of all people, seemed to float on air as she bade Viktor Krum good night. Then she shot Ron a very cold look and stalked up the stairs.

_Wonder what that's about._

He couldn't help but frown a bit at the depressed looks on the faces of Harry and Ron. Then again, who wouldn't be depressed if they came here with two hot girls, only to see those girls leave with other guys? He wondered what the general wizarding populace would think if they knew the famous Harry Potter didn't get so much as a friendly peck on the cheek from his date to the Yule Ball. Most people outside Hogwarts probably thought Harry had to fight off the girls with Stunning Spells. Little did they realize he was in the same boat as many other 14-year-olds when it came to girls, meaning not very good at getting them.

"I wish this ball was not over. I feel I could dance until the sun comes up."

Mireet's silky voice snapped him out of his reverie. He turned to her and smiled. "That makes two of us. Especially if all that dancing is with you."

"Jimmy." She looked away momentarily, her cheeks flush.

"Um, so . . . can I walk you back to your carriage?"

"_Oui. _I would like that very much."

She fetched her thick cloak, which O'Bannon draped over her shoulders. The two of them headed outside into the cold December air. He walked slowly, letting the other Beauxbatons students get far ahead of them. He wanted to be alone with Mireet when he said what he'd been dying to say to her all night long.

The powder-blue carriage that housed the Beauxbatons contingent came into view. O'Bannon's heart hammered away. His stomach churned. Dread and excitement twisted inside him.

_C'mon, man. You can do it._

He halted ten feet from the carriage and took Mireet's hand. "Um, Mireet." He looked her in the eyes. My God, she was so beautiful. "Um . . . I had an absolute awesome time with you tonight. You're . . . well, um, aw jeez, I can't even describe what an awesome witch you are."

Mireet shuddered slightly as she took a breath. "_Merci, _Jimmy. And you . . . you have become such a dear friend to me. I'm so happy I have gotten to know you."

His back stiffened. He gave Mireet's hand a gentle squeeze.

_Okay, man. Here goes._

"Mireet. I . . . I really like you. And tonight, when we were dancing and I was holding you, I just . . . I never met anyone like you in my life. You're wonderful and awesome and nice and just so . . . so beautiful."

Mireet stared at him, every muscle in her body seemingly frozen. He tried to read the expression on her face. He couldn't tell if she was flattered by what he said or if she . . .

_No. Don't even think that._

He glanced down. They still held hands.

Holding his breath, he stepped forward.

Mireet didn't move.

_Okay. That's a good sign._

He leaned closer to her, his focus on her lips. She didn't back away.

His heart thumped furiously. The space between his lips and Mireet's grew smaller.

"Jimmy."

He stopped inches from her face. "Yeah, Mireet?"

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. Her hands slipped from his.

An invisible fist punched O'Bannon in the gut. _What's going on?_

"Jimmy, I wish . . . I do not know if I can do this."

"Huh? Wha-What do you mean?"

"It's just . . ." She held her hand up to her mouth. O'Bannon got the sense she tried to hold back a sniffle. "Before . . . Before we left to come to Hogwarts, there was . . . there was a boy. Marc-Andre. We had been together for two years, and I loved him very much. I believed he would be the one I would eventually marry. But . . . but his family is very wealthy. They run a very successful robe business. They mingle in very important circles. Marc-Andre's parents felt it was . . . unseemly for someone from such a prominent family to be involved with a girl . . ." Mireet sniffled and bit her lip. "Involved with a girl whose mother works in our Ministry's Office of Muggle Relations, and who engages voluntarily in Muggle activities. So he . . . he broke up with me."

She lowered her head. O'Bannon just stared at her.

Mireet half-breathed, half-sobbed and looked back up at him. "Marc-Andre shattered my heart. I . . . I had never hurt so much in my life."

"I . . . I'd never hurt you like that, Mireet."

"But you will."

His face crinkled in bewilderment. "What?"

"Jimmy, I do want to be with you. But . . . but six months from now, you will return to America, and I will return to France. Who knows if we will ever see one another again? If I let myself fall for you, I know my heart is going to shatter again when you leave. I . . . I'm sorry. I just cannot bear to go through that sort of pain again."

The world completely stopped. O'Bannon's mind refused to accept Mireet's words. She couldn't have said that. Not after the great time they had tonight. Not after the way they held one another when they danced. There was a connection between them. How could she ignore it? How could she let an ex-boyfriend who was a jackass ruin things for them now?

"I am sorry, Jimmy. Please do not hate me."

He stood like a statue, eyes locked on her. His soul crumbled to dust, leaving an empty pit inside him. He didn't want to move, for fear he'd collapse. But he wanted to leave. Not just from this spot, but from Hogwarts entirely.

_How could I have been so stupid? _He should have known there was no way he could be in a relationship with someone like Mireet Miradeaux. The girl was far out of his league. So many hopes, so many expectations, so many daydreams of him and Mireet walking along the lake holding hands, of spending Hogsmeade weekends together, of finding some secluded place on campus and enjoying each other's bodies.

None of that would happen now.

Why had he gotten his hopes up?

Why did Mireet agree to go with him to the Yule Ball if she knew they wouldn't have any future together after it?

"Jimmy?"

His mouth opened and closed silently for several seconds. Finally he managed to speak.

"Um, yeah. Well, I better go. Good night."

He spun on his heel and stalked off.

"Jimmy," Mireet called out in a pleading tone.

He kept on walking.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_Please feel free to comment on my Weird Sisters song lyrics. Writing lyrics and/or poetry has never been my strong suit, so I'd like to hear if they worked or not._


	17. Dream Meaning

**CHAPTER 17: DREAM MEANING**

* * *

_Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland._

_Time Frame: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the morning after the Yule Ball_

* * *

Jimmy O'Bannon trudged down the stairs and shuffled across the Gryffindor Common Room. He groaned and wondered why he'd bothered getting out of bed at all.

He stopped in front of the portrait hole, his shoulders sagging. Part of him wanted to stay in his dormitory all day. If he went out, he risked running into Mireet. The last thing he wanted to do was see her. It'd just remind him what could never be between them.

_I __can__'__t __.__.__. __we __had __such __a __great __time __last __night __.__.__. __how __could __she __not __.__.__._

Okay, so this Marc-Andre guy back in France did her dirt. Obviously it hurt when he broke up with her. But how could she use that as an excuse not to be with him? Hell's Bells, that all happened months ago.

He leaned against the wall and snorted. This wasn't how he envisioned the morning after the Yule Ball. Originally he pictured himself bounding down the steps with a huge grin, cheerily greeting everyone he passed. His thoughts would be on the kiss - perhaps numerous kisses – he shared with Mireet, and the anticipation of seeing her again.

Instead, he thought about the long walk from the Beauxbatons carriage back to Gryffindor Tower. He barely remembered entering the castle he'd been in such a state of disbelief. He vaguely recalled walking up to the Fat Lady's portrait behind a very glum-looking Harry Potter. His trek from the Common Room to the dormitory was a blur. Had Ron and Hermione been arguing? He swore he heard her yell something about "a last resort."

When he reached his room and climbed into bed, he spent half the night staring up at the darkened ceiling, feeling depressed, wishing he could go back to Salem.

O'Bannon's stomach grumbled. He sighed. He didn't want to go out, but neither did he want to stay here and starve for the entire day.

_Just eat fast and leave._

Reluctantly, he went through the portrait hole and headed down to the Great Hall. The entire time Mireet's rejection rang in his head.

"_I __don__'__t __know __if __I __can __do __this __.__.__. __If __I __let __myself __fall __for __you, __I __know __my __heart __is __going __to __shatter __when __you __leave __.__.__. __I __just __cannot __bear __to __go __through __that __sort __of __pain __again.__"_

O'Bannon balled his fists. More than anything he wished he could port key to France, find this Marc-Andre dipstick and kick his friggin' ass.

He paused when he reached the Great Hall. Was Mireet already in there? Would she try to talk to him? Did she _want_to talk to him? What about the other students? Did they already know Mireet had shot him down? Were they all gossiping about it?

He slapped the brick wall next to him a couple times. His stomach growled. Maybe he'd just take some food back to Gryffindor Tower and eat alone. Then he wouldn't have to hear people's whispered conversations about him and Mireet. Or worse, have people pat him on the back and tell him it'll be all right.

_No. __It __won__'__t __be __all __right._

Drawing in a deep breath, O'Bannon entered the Great Hall. He kept his head down, determined not to make eye contact with anyone. Determined not to look in the direction of the table where the Beauxbatons contingent sat.

Where Mireet sat.

He took a quick glance at the Gryffindor table and spotted the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan, Harry and Ron. Across from them sat Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Ginny Weasley and Hermione.

"Mornin'," he muttered as he took the empty space next to Lee.

The guys responded in kind.

"Morning, Jimmy," Hermione said.

He heard no such greeting from the other girls.

Brow furrowed, he looked up.

Ginny, Angelina, Katie and Alicia all shot him the same scathing glare.

His face scrunched in bewilderment. "What?"

The girls continued to glare at him.

"Uh, there some kind of problem?"

Ginny slammed the table with both hands. She huffed, shot to her feet and stormed out of the Great Hall, the eyes of several stunned students following her.

"What's gotten into her?" Ron stared after his sister.

Katie shook her head. "Merlin's beard, are all boys thick?"

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" O'Bannon blurted.

Angelina looked at him in shock. "I can't believe you're asking a question like that."

The three girls gave him very nasty looks before returning to their breakfasts.

O'Bannon scowled back at them. "Fine. Whatever."

He grabbed some toast and fruit and stomped out of the Great Hall.

**XXXXX**

When mid-morning rolled around O'Bannon had grown tired of staring at the same four walls of his suite, moping over the whole situation with Mireet. He grabbed some of his textbooks and headed to the library to do some homework.

_Homework. _He shook his head. Who the hell assigned homework over Christmas Break? They didn't do it at Salem.

But on this day, he was grateful for it. Hopefully it would get his mind off what happened last night.

It didn't. He sat alone at a table, his eyes barely focusing on his open Defense Against the Dark Arts book and the blank parchment in front of him. The whole, sorry scene in front of the Beauxbatons carriage between him and Mireet played over and over again in his mind.

He slammed his book shut and stuffed the parchment in his bookbag. There was no way he'd be getting any homework done today. He doubted any activity existed that would get his mind off Mireet.

Head down, he trudged out of the library. There had to be some place he could spend the day alone, just being miserable. Maybe the Quidditch field? With no Quidditch season because of the Tri-Wizard Tournament he doubted anyone would be there. Perfect place to . . .

Footfalls caught his attention. He looked up to see a slender girl with long, curled brown hair suddenly appear from around the corner.

Katie Bell.

She skidded to a halt, nearly colliding with O'Bannon.

"Um . . . hey, Katie."

Scowling, she stormed past him.

His face scrunched in anger. He spun on his heel. "What the hell's your problem, Bell?"

Katie stopped, her shoulders slowly rising in a measured breath.

O'Bannon stepped closer to her. "Hey. If you got a problem with me, out with it."

She whirled around. "You better believe I have a problem with you, Jimmy O'Bannon."

"What the hell did I do to you?"

"You didn't do anything to me."

He drew his head back, perplexed. "Huh? Okay, you're not making sense. I didn't do anything to you, but you're pissed at me? What gives?"

She snorted and shook her head. "Merlin's beard, you really don't have an inkling what this is all about, do you?"

"You know, I'm having a crappy day as it is. So quit playing games and just tell me what I did to piss you off."

"I told you, you didn't do anything to me."

O'Bannon rolled his eyes. Anger rose in his throat, ready to be unleashed upon Katie.

She beat him to the punch. "It's what you did to Mireet that's bothering me."

His neck muscles tightened. "So you heard what happened."

"You better believe I did. Me, Ang, Ginny. All of us."

"Then what's with the whole 'what I did to her?' She was the one who turned me down when I wanted us to get serious."

"And then what did you do? You stormed off. She wanted to talk to you some more, try to explain more why she did what she did. And you just turned your back on her and pouted like a bloody five-year-old!"

"What, I shoulda just stood there and listen to her give more reasons why she doesn't want to be my girlfriend?"

"You hurt her!" Katie stomped over to him, teeth bared. For a second he thought she'd haul off and belt him.

Katie's face reddened as she continued to rage. "Here she was, explaining how some uppity bastard back in France broke her heart, and what did you do? You up and walked off. Do you think it was easy for her to do that? Mireet likes you. She told us so."

"When did you talk to her?"

"Early this morning. Me, Ang and Ginny went out to do some skating and that's when we saw Mireet. She told us what happened after the Yule Ball. And she was crying her bloody eyes out! She hated having to tell you she didn't want to be with you. She wanted you to understand. But when you just walked off . . . you can't imagine how horrible it made her feel. She cried herself to sleep, all because you acted like the most insensitive arse in the world!"

He stood frozen. A dark mass grew over his heart and spread through his chest. Images assaulted his mind. Images of Mireet crying. Crying because of him.

_I __never __.__.__. __I __didn__'__t __think __.__.__._

O'Bannon averted his eyes from Katie's fiery glare. He cared for Mireet so much. The thought that he did anything to hurt her, especially when he'd told her he would never do that, made his stomach twist.

His jaw quivered. He pressed his back against the wall and stared at the stone floor. "I really messed things up, didn't I?"

"That's an understatement."

He sighed and looked up at Katie. "Do you think I can fix things between me and Mireet?"

"Yes." Katie's face hardened. "So long as you get down on your knees and beg for her forgiveness. I think that's the least you can do considering how you acted."

O'Bannon frowned. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I _know _I'm right."

He sucked down a deep breath. "I think I better go find Mireet."

Katie said nothing, just nodded.

Without a word, he pushed himself off the wall and headed down the corridor.

"Jimmy."

He turned around to face Katie.

"If she does forgive you, maybe me and Ang and Ginny can chat with her, get her to reconsider her decision. I'm not promising anything, but we can at least try. We . . . well, we've always thought you two would make a great couple."

For the first time today, O'Bannon smiled. "Thanks, Katie."

She nodded. "You're welcome. Now go apologize to Mireet."

**XXXXX**

O'Bannon headed down to the Beauxbatons carriage, where he encountered a couple of French witches taking pictures of the Hogwarts grounds with one of those boxy old-fashioned cameras so common to the Wizarding World.

"Hi. Um, could one of you do me a favor and see if you can find Mireet Miradeaux for me?"

A brunette of medium-build agreed to do this, even though she looked annoyed by the request.

A few minutes later, Mireet emerged from the huge pumpkin-shaped carriage. She froze when she saw him.

"Um, hey, Mireet. Can I talk to you? Please?"

She continued staring at him in silence. Panic swelled within him. He fully expected her to go back inside and slam the door behind her.

"_Oui,__" _she muttered.

He winced as she pounded down the steps and strode toward him. She walked past him without a word and kept walking. O'Bannon had to take longer than normal strides to keep up.

They didn't stop until they reached a small clump of trees, the carriage and lake visible in the distance. Mireet turned to him, arms folded, unsmiling.

He took a deep breath. "Mireet, I'm so sorry about last night. I know . . . I know that couldn't have been easy. I know you were upset and . . . well, I guess I should have been a little more understanding. It's just . . . I really like you and . . . well, I know I said I'd never hurt you like that Marc-Andre fu . . . um, _guy_ did. But I did just that, and I wish I could take it back. I just . . . I just hope you don't hate me."

"I spent all last night and this morning wondering if you hated me."

He took a step back in shock. "Mireet, I could never hate you."

"That did not seem the case last night when you left."

O'Bannon could see her eyes glistening. He swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. "Mireet, please forgive me. If you want, I'll get down on my knees and beg for your forgiveness, if that's what it takes."

Silence hung between them for several long seconds. O'Bannon's lips tightened. He started lowering himself to the ground.

"No," Mireet finally spoke. "You do not have to beg. I forgive you, Jimmy."

He straightened up, an invisible weight flying off his shoulders. He closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky. _Thank __you, __God._

"I just want you to understand and respect my decision. I do wish we could . . . I wish things could be different with us."

"I understand," he muttered, wondering if Mireet even heard him.

"I do want us to be friends. Please, Jimmy?"

He sighed to himself. He wanted to be _more_than friends, and he doubted that feeling would go away any time soon.

But if his only two choices were just being friends with Mireet or having her hate him . . . well, he knew he couldn't bear to live with the latter.

_Remember __what __Katie __said. __Maybe __she __and __Angelina __and __Ginny __can __convince __her __to __reconsider._

Given Mireet's words, he didn't hold out much hope for that.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure."

Mireet smiled. Not the beaming smile she'd worn through much of the Yule Ball, but a smile nonetheless.

"_Merci,_ Jimmy." She walked up to him and kissed both his cheeks.

They hugged. O'Bannon closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her body in his arms, wondering if he could ever fully accept Mireet Miradeaux as just a friend.

The world around him vanished.

O'Bannon blinked. The twins' bedroom slowly came into focus. Groaning, he pushed himself up on his elbows and checked the clock. It was a little past ten. Just two hours sleep.

He rubbed his eyes. No sense in trying to nap any more. His patrol would start in less than an hour.

He hauled himself off the cot and shuffled down the hall to the bathroom to take a whiz. All the while he thought about the dream he just had. All the dreams about Mireet he'd had since arriving at the Burrow. What the hell was going on in his head? Was his unconscious mind trying to tell him something? If so, what? He'd never been much into dream interpretation.

_Or __maybe __you__'__re __just __dreaming __this __because __.__.__. __well, __jus t__because. _Like people can really decide what they dream.

He exited the bathroom and stopped in the middle of the hallway. He thought about the last dream, about storming off after Mireet's rejection. _Yeah. __Not __your __finest __moment __there, __Jimmy __Boy._

_Remind you of something else?_

He groaned and started back to the twins' room.

"Jimmy."

He looked over his shoulder to find Ginny coming down the hallway toward him.

"Hey, Gin."

She canted her head. "You all right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Just woke up."

"Oh. Um, Jimmy. Can I talk to you?"

He shrugged. "Sure. What's up?"

Ginny bit her lower lip. "Well, it's about you and Rosa."

"Uh-huh?" His neck muscles tightened.

"Look, I've got to become very good friends with her over the past couple of weeks, and this whole disagreement over Snape's Pest Elimination Potion, well, it's just really gotten to her. I think she thinks you hate her."

"I don't . . ." He stopped and closed his eyes. Sighing, he leaned against the wall. A feeling of _deja__'__vu_ overwhelmed him. "I don't believe it."

"Don't believe what?"

He held his breath for a moment. "It's just . . . Man, this is gonna sound weird. See, I had this dream just now. Me and Mireet at the Yule Ball. When she told me she didn't want to get serious with me, and you and Katie and Angelina all got pissed at me. God, it's like . . . it's like history's kinda repeating itself. Back then I acted like a jerk and hurt Mireet. Now I act like a jerk and hurt Rosa. And it was almost for the exact same reason. With Mireet I totally expected her to say that she loved me and wanted to be my girlfriend. With Rosa I totally expected her to go along with me and not support Snape's plan. But when they did the exact opposite . . . well, I guess I didn't handle it well, did I?"

"You really need to ask?"

O'Bannon frowned. "Am I really that big an asshole, Ginny?"

"No, though the exception would be those two incidents you mentioned."

He grunted and cast his eyes to the floor.

"Look . . ." Ginny gently touched his arm. "I've been through this sort of thing loads of times with Ron. My Second Year he didn't speak to Hermione for months when he thought Crookshanks killed Scabbers. And, of course, you remember him getting all hacked off at Harry when he got entered in the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

"Yeah, I remember that."

"Point is, as bad as all that was, Ron eventually made up with them. I just feel having a friendship end because of stuff like that is stupid when you consider everything they've been through."

O'Bannon nodded. He thought back to this morning, how he purposefully ignored Rosa and how she stormed out of the kitchen. She'd always been such a strong person that he couldn't conceive of her getting so upset by someone giving her the cold shoulder.

_But __it __wasn__'__t __just __someone __who __did __that._ He was one of her best friends in the world. They had comforted each other during break-ups, defended each other when confronted by elitist purebloods like Merak Mather. And during the battle in Ovenderburg and the Longathian Tunnel incident, there had never been a doubt that he had her back, and vice versa. Rosa had become more than a best friend to him. She'd become the sister he never had.

And he'd just hurt his sister.

"It wasn't an easy decision for her, you know," Ginny continued. "Supporting Snape's plan. It's not as if she likes this plan. She hates it, actually. But she feels it might be the only way to stop the Chupacabra. She's not expecting you to agree with her position, just understand it. Like Mireet wanted you to understand her reasoning for not getting together with you."

O'Bannon slowly worked his jaw back and forth. "Yeah. I guess it's high time I apologized to Rosa . . . and Jared."

"I couldn't agree more."

"Thanks, Ginny." He smiled and gave her a hug. After he released her, he snorted and shook his head. "I can't believe it took a dream to help get my head out of my ass. Though, actually . . ."

"What?" Ginny cranked an eyebrow at him.

He sighed, staring at her for several seconds. "Well, it wasn't just tonight. Ever since I got here, I've had a bunch of dreams about Mireet. Actually, it's more like I'm reliving stuff that happened between us. Mainly the stuff having to do with the Yule Ball. I don't know, I thought maybe all those dreams had something to do with Fleur being around."

"Ugh!" Ginny's face scrunched, like she was about to be sick. "How can Phlegm remind you of Mireet?"

"Well, they're both French, and hot."

Ginny's scowl deepened. "Being French is the _only _thing Mireet and Phlegm have in common. As for their looks, if it weren't for the fact that harpy's part Veela, you men wouldn't drool over her as much as you do."

O'Bannon felt the need to disagree with Ginny, but the twisted look on her face made him think twice. Besides, he didn't need any more people pissed at him.

"Well then, I have no idea why I'm having these dreams."

Ginny's face softened. She folded her arms and stared off to the side in thought. Suddenly her eyes widened. "You know, I do remember something from Divination Class."

"Oh please." O'Bannon rolled his eyes. He'd always considered Divination a bunch of crap. So did most wizards, in fact. That attitude was only reinforced by his teacher back at Salem, Miss Vomstam. To call the woman a charlatan, well, it would be an insult to charlatans. And from what he'd heard from his British friends, the teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Trelawney, was even worse.

"Okay, look." Ginny held up her hands. "I think Divination's a load of rubbish, too. So take it for what it's worth. But last year I had one class where Professor Trelawney said that if we have multiple dreams about the same man, or in your case woman, over a short span of time, say a week or two, then those two people are fated to be together."

"Are you cereal?" he scoffed. "Did the fates take into account that I live in America and Mireet lives in France? Or did the fates ignore the fact I have a girlfriend, and that Mireet probably has a boyfriend by now?" He figured she had to be completely over that Marc-Andre asshole by now. Plus, there was no way in hell a woman like Mireet would stay single for long.

Ginny shrugged. "Look, I'm just telling you what Trelawney told us in class. You don't have to believe it if you don't want to."

He opened his mouth to reply, "I won't." But the words died on his tongue. He thought back to the dreams, remembering how strong his feelings had been toward Mireet. Even after those dreams, his heartbeat would quicken and his stomach would knot up as he thought about her body, her smile, that silky French accent, her compassion, her strength, her intelligence.

How he still wanted her after two years.

_This __is __nuts. __I__have __a __girlfriend. __I__gotta __stop __pining __fo r__a __woman __who __lives __on __a __whole __other __continent._

Ginny grinned and patted him on the shoulder as she walked by him. She got a few feet down the hall when he turned to her.

"Yo, Ginny."

"Yes?" She turned around.

He folded his arms and gave her a wry grin. "So who do you have lots of dreams about? Oh! Let me guess. Dean Thomas, right?"

Ginny tightened her lips. Her eyes darted in several directions. She finally gave him a forced smile. "Good night, Jimmy."

With that, she proceeded into the bathroom.

O'Bannon's brow furrowed. _What __the __hell __was __that __about?_ Could there be trouble in paradise between Ginny and Dean?

He shrugged and headed toward the stairs. He had neither the skill, nor the desire, to psychoanalyze Ginny. He had more important things to do, like finding Rosa and Jared and apologizing to them.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs. O'Bannon halted at the landing. _Man,__someone__'__s__in__a__rush._ He figured it must be the twins. They usually rushed up the stairs, much to Mrs. Weasley's never-ending frustration.

It came as a surprise when Remus Lupin appeared. He stared up at O'Bannon, his eyes and face radiating with urgency.

"Jimmy. Good. We need you downstairs now."

"What's wrong?"

"We've detected wards being breached at several homes across the country. It appears You-Know-Who's launched an all-out attack with the Chupacabra."

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	18. Assault On Ottery St Catchpole

**CHAPTER 18: ASSAULT ON OTTERY ST. CATCHPOLE**

* * *

O'Bannon barreled down the stairs, almost overtaking Lupin. He'd just gotten past the first floor when he heard Mr. Weasley's voice.

"We're getting reports of attacks in Dorset, Carmarthen, Lindsey and Anglesey. It's just as we feared. The Chupacabra are going after wizarding homes in the more rural areas of the country."

"And I think we can safely say Ottery St. Catchpole is a more rural area of the country." That came from Tonks.

O'Bannon tore into the living room right behind Lupin. All the other occupants of the Burrow had gathered in a knot around Mr. Weasley; Bill, Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, Jared, Artimus, Harry, Ron and Ginny. No Fleur, though. He remembered she was working late at Gringotts.

"Then we'd best be ready for them if they do come here," Lupin stated. "Bill, you take -"

A white flash lit up the living room. Everyone whirled toward it, pulling out their wands.

A jaguar patronus crouched beside one of the worn, overstuffed chairs. Its mouth opened. Out came Rosa's voice.

"There's a Chupacabra attacking a home just outside Weymouth. Me and the twins are on it."

The patronus faded into nothingness.

O'Bannon felt his neck muscles tighten. His insides shuddered with worry.

_Please __be __careful. _If anything happened to Rosa before he could apologize to her . . .

He closed his eyes. _Why __did __I __have __to __act __like __such __an __asshole?_

"All right." Lupin turned back to the others. "We'll have to trust Rosa, Fred and George can take care of that Chupacabra. Meantime, Bill, you take Artimus and keep watch on the Fawcetts' home. Jimmy, you and Jared do the same with the Lovegoods."

He turned to Jared. They stared in silence for a couple seconds before O'Bannon nodded. Jared nodded back.

"Tonks and I will stay here with Arthur and Molly to protect the Burrow. If any Chupacabra do show up, we'll contact you by patronus to get back here. Remember, our main priority is to protect Harry."

"Look," Harry scanned the group, "I can take care of myself. There are a lot more people out there who need your help more than me."

"Harry," Lupin turned to him. "You-Know-Who has his sights set on you. For all we know, he may have altered these Chupacabra specifically to go after you, especially since they do seem capable of getting past security wards without immediately setting them off."

"Then if Voldemort has created these things to get me, let me do something to help."

"Absolutely not." Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Our job is to keep you safe, not let you fight monsters."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Ron's face tightened in frustration. "Hide in our bedrooms?"

"That's exactly what you're going to do." Mrs. Weasley leaned in toward Ron, Harry and Ginny. "The three of you are going to lock yourselves in a bedroom and stay there until this thing is over."

"And are we supposed to stay there even if these Chupacabra get into the house?" Anger lines etched in Ginny's face.

"_Especially _if they get into the house. None of you are of age, and I'll not have any of you do any fighting while we're around."

Ron glowered at his mother, as did Ginny. Harry just scowled at the floor. None of them, however, said a word.

"Come on, then." Bill waved his arm. "Let's get a move on."

O'Bannon, Jared and Artimus followed him to the front door.

"Be careful," Mrs. Weasley called after them.

"We will, Mum," Bill responded.

The four hurried outside and mounted their brooms. O'Bannon kicked off and shot into the air, Jared next to him. He peered over his shoulder and saw Bill and Artimus fly off in the opposite direction. He clenched his teeth and said a short prayer for them.

The wind whipped past him as he leaned forward and increased his speed. He then looked to his right.

"Jared!"

"Yeah?"

O'Bannon bit his lip before continuing. "Look, man. I'm sorry about the way I acted to you and Rosa. I guess it wasn't an easy decision for you two to make about that Pest Elimination Potion, and . . . well, I'm sorry, man."

Jared gave him a half-grin. "Don't worry about it. Apology accepted. Now let's go make sure Luna and her dad are okay."

O'Bannon smiled and faced forward. It wasn't long before he spotted the large rook-like structure that was the Lovegood residence. He and Jared circled around it once. A few windows were lit up. Everything looked fine. No wards had gone off. His muscles tensed as dread spread through him. He thought back to the Diggorys. Even when their wards had gone off, it had been too late to save them. His eyes fell to his waist, and the wand beneath his coat. He prayed no images of the Burrow or Luna's home spewed from it.

"Maybe we should go down and make sure they're all right," Jared suggested. "I mean, after what happened with the Diggorys . . ."

"You don't have to tell me twice. C'mon."

The two finished their circle around the Lovegood home and started their descent.

The front door flew open. O'Bannon's eyes widened when he saw Luna nearly stumble outside. Her father emerged a split second later, pushing her forward.

"Run, Luna! Run!"

A dark form appeared behind Xenophilius Lovegood. Tall. Inhuman. Reptilian.

_Oh __my __God._

The Chupacabra roared and swiped at Mr. Lovegood. The man flailed and fell to the ground.

"Daddy!" A piercing scream burst from Luna's mouth.

The creature roared and stalked toward her, arm raised.

O'Bannon held his breath. No time to go for his wand. He only had one option.

He leaned all the way forward, his chin nearly touching the top of his broom. Wind screamed in his ears as he rocketed toward the ground.

"HEY, UGLY!"

The Chupacabra looked up.

O'Bannon barreled into the creature. The impact ripped through his body. He soared off the broom, flipping end over end. The breath exploded from his lungs when he slammed into the ground. He rolled across the hard, frozen dirt and struck the base of the house. Pain hammered him head to toe. He grimaced, trying to force himself to rise.

The Chupacabra was already on its feet, its red, evil eyes locked on him.

O'Bannon reached for his wand, pain slowing his movements.

The creature roared and loped toward him.

A Stunning Spell struck its back. Then another. It stopped, but didn't go down.

"C'mon, you son-of-a-bitch!" Jared stood at the edge of the dirt path, sneering, wand aimed at the Chupacabra. "Come get some!"

The creature growled and started after Jared.

He whipped his wand across his body. Tennis ball-sized objects with steel spikes burst from his wand and flew toward the Chupacabra. O'Bannon remembered the Shooting Spike Spell. Tonks had taught it to them their last time in England.

O'Bannon heard three deep thuds as the balls struck the Chupacabra. It threw its head back and howled in agony.

But it still didn't go down.

"Yeah, I got more where that came from." Jared launched more spike-laden balls from his wand.

The Chupacabra rippled and vanished. The balls soared off into the night.

"Da'hell?" O'Bannon finally got to his feet.

"You okay, Jimmy?" Jared called out.

"Yeah, I'm good." He searched for the Chupacabra. "Where the hell did it go?"

"I don't know, man." Jared twisted in all directions, wand extended. "It didn't look like it Apparated."

O'Bannon pulled out his wand and scanned the area. Luna knelt by her father, who was moving – Thank God – albeit rather listlessly. His compassionate side wanted him to rush over and help Xenophilius Lovegood. But he needed to be on guard in case the Chupacabra was still around, wanting to finish what it started.

"_Lumos!__"_ The tip of O'Bannon's wand lit up. Jared did the same a second later. They cast their lights all over the Lovegood property.

Something skittered at the edge of O'Bannon's light. He swung his arm to the right. The light washed over a garden gnome.

He scowled at the little creature and continued scanning the area.

"Get outta here!" Jared blurted.

"What is it?" O'Bannon whirled around to his friend.

"Friggin' garden gnome. I thought the little bastard was gonna crawl right up my pant le-"

The air shimmered two feet behind Jared. O'Bannon gasped as the Chupacabra towered over his friend.

"Jared! Behind you!"

Jared turned just as the Chupacabra roared and raised its arm.

O'Bannon aimed his wand, but Jared was right in his line of fire.

_No, __dammit!_ He sprinted to his left for a better shot.

The monster's arm came down.

Jared brought up both arms and blocked the blow. He grunted and crumpled to his knees.

Now O'Bannon had a clear shot. He cast three rapid fire Battering Spells. Each one struck the Chupacabra in the chest. It stumbled back, barely keeping its balance.

_Screw __this.__ "__Constrictus!__"_

The beast leaped to its left just as the snapping tendrils burst from the ground. It dove face first into the ground. Fountains of dirt shot up around it. An instant later, it vanished.

"Dammit!" He hurried over to Jared, his eyes on the freshly formed hole in the earth. That's when he remembered. Chupacabra were burrowing creatures.

"You okay?"

Jared groaned as he picked himself up. "Merlin, my arm!" He spoke through clenched teeth. "I think it's broke. Jeez, it's like getting hit with a Beater's club."

He took a couple of deep breaths, his face scrunched in pain. His gaze settled on the hole. "Aw great. It's gone underground."

The two looked around in all directions. O'Bannon's heart hammered in his chest. Where the hell was it? Would it pop out right in front of him? Would he be able to get a spell off in time?

His eyes locked on Luna, who pressed her sweater against her father's back, probably to stop any bleeding.

Hinkey hairs went up on the back of his neck.

He aimed his wand at the Lovegoods and cast a Levitation Spell. Luna jerked in surprise as she and her father rose off the ground. Four feet . . . six feet . . . ten feet.

The Chupacabra burst through the ground close to where the Lovegoods had been. It looked up at the rising father and daughter and roared in anger. The beast whipped around and stared at him and Jared. It roared again and dove back into the ground.

"I think we better get airborne, man," Jared suggested.

O'Bannon nodded. He ran in the direction he'd set down his broom, keeping his Levitation Spell trained on Luna and her father. His eyes flickered between the Lovegoods and the ground, searching for his broom and any sign of the Chupacabra.

Jared took to the air. O'Bannon spotted his broom a couple feet away. He picked it up with one hand, mounted it and kicked off.

The ground behind him exploded. His broom stopped, pitching him forward. He glanced over his shoulder.

The Chupacabra gripped the rear of his broom.

O'Bannon tried to increase his speed. He pulled forward a little. The monster maintained its iron grip and started pulling him back.

That's when he realized he broke the Levitation Spell. Panic surged through him. He looked back to the dirt pathway, fearing he'd see the Lovegoods sprawled on the ground and hurt. My God, would a fall like that kill Mr. Lovegood in his current condition?

Another Levitation Spell held the Lovegoods, this one cast by Jared.

He turned back to the Chupacabra. The creature swiped at him, nicking the back of his coat. He aimed his wand over his shoulder. A Battering Spell sizzled an inch over the Chupacabra's head. The beast gave another tug on the broom. Mere inches separated them.

O'Bannon twisted around and leveled his wand. He cast another Battering Spell. This one struck the Chupacabra's left eye. It howled in agony and released the broom. O'Bannon nearly fell off as he suddenly shot into the air.

Holding its left eye, the Chupacabra sank back into the earth.

O'Bannon circled around the hole, face tightening. What the hell would it take to finish off this thing? It showed a high degree of resistance to many of the defensive spells him and Jared knew. It avoided the Constrictus Curse, which he used to kill the first Chupacabra.

His eyes flickered around the holes in the earth. He pictured the Chupacabra under the ground, tunneling through it like a fish swimming through water. How could he . . .

His eyes widened. _Tunnel __.__. __.__water. __All __that __digging __must__'__ve __created __a __little __tunnel __system. __Maybe __we __can __flood __it._

_No. I got a better idea._

He flew toward the last hole made by the Chupacabra and hovered above it. He pointed his wand straight down.

"_Freezium!__"_

A chalky white light flowed from his wand. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the Freezing Spell, picturing it winding its way through the tunnels. His arm started to tremble as the spell's power increased.

_C__'__mon. __C__'__mon._

Ice poured out of the holes like white lava. Within seconds it hardened.

He cut off the spell and released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He gazed at the solid sheet of ice filling the holes, then looked over at Jared.

"You think that got 'im?"

"God, I hope so." O'Bannon switched his gaze to the levitating Lovegoods.

Luna's head whipped from her father to him. "Jimmy, please help. Daddy's hurt bad."

A chill rippled across his shoulders. Luna's voice contained something he'd never heard from the girl.

Panic.

"Jared. Bring 'em inside." He nodded to the house behind him.

Jared got them halfway to the front door when a voice called from above. "Oi! You lot all right?"

O'Bannon looked up. Bill and Artimus flew toward them.

"We picked up the wards from the Lovegoods' home going off," Bill said. "Figured we'd come over and lend a hand. Anyone hurt?"

"Yeah," O'Bannon replied. "Mr. Lovegood got slashed by a Chupacabra. Looks like Jared broke his arm, too."

"Oh, screw it," Jared groaned. "I'll be fine. Mr. Lovegood's worse off than me."

They got Luna and her father inside and set them on a fluffy, purple, butterfly-shaped rug in front of an arched fireplace.

"He's bleeding badly." Luna stared at them, worry blazing in her eyes. "I can't stop it."

O'Bannon glimpsed tears rolling down her cheeks. He then took hold of Luna's sweater and gently moved it back. Blood had completely soaked through it. Three deep gashes ran across Mr. Lovegood's back. Soft moans came from his mouth. He checked the man's face. His skin had turned ghostly pale. His eyes closed halfway. It appeared he was slipping into unconsciousness, or worse.

Bill waved his wand over Mr. Lovegood and uttered a few incantations.

"That should slow the bleeding a little," he explained. "But I'm afraid that's the best I can do as far as healing spells. We need to get him to St. Mungo's."

"He's going to be all right, isn't he?" Luna spoke quicker than normal, her usual dreamy voice falling by the wayside.

"Bill's gonna get him to the hospital," O'Bannon reassured her. "Don't worry. The healers will fix him up."

"What if they can't? What if he dies? I've already lost my mother. I don't have anyone else." More tears flowed down Luna's cheeks. Her voice trembled. "What will I do if he dies?"

"Luna!" O'Bannon grasped her shoulders and looked her directly in her large, silvery eyes. "He is going to be fine. You have to believe that. Okay?"

She tightened her lips and nodded. Behind her, green flames spat from the fireplace. Bill levitated Mr. Lovegood off the floor.

"Go with Bill. Be with your father."

Luna looked over her shoulder, then back to him. "What about all of you? What if another one of these beasts comes here? Will you be all right?"

O'Bannon blinked in surprise. He couldn't believe it. Luna's father could be dying and she was worried about him and his friends?

"We'll be fine. Now go."

She nodded and stood, following Bill and the levitating form of her father into the green flames. Seconds later all three vanished. The flames dissipated as they completed their Floo journey to St. Mungo's.

O'Bannon let out a breath and sat on the rug, staring at now dark mouth of the fireplace. He closed his eyes and sent his thoughts and prayers to Luna and Mr. Lovegood. Worry slithered inside him. What if Mr. Lovegood died? Other than Harry and Ginny, he knew of no one else Luna was particularly close with.

He pressed his fists against his forehead. The just-completed battle ran through his mind. What could he have done differently? How could he have stopped the Chupacabra from slashing Mr. Lovegood?

"_Accio __Towel!__"_

He looked over to Artimus, who pointed his wand toward the kitchen. A yellow towel decorated with strange-looking horned creatures flew through the air and into Art's hand. He wrapped the towel around Jared's broken arm and uttered another incantation. The towel hardened into a yellow cast.

"That should help until we can get you to a healer."

"Thanks, buddy," Jared nodded to Artimus. He then turned to O'Bannon. "You think Mr. Lovegood's gonna be okay? Those wounds looked really bad."

"He'll be fine," he snapped. An instant later he closed his eyes. "Sorry, man. It's just I don't think Luna has any other family except for her dad."

"Yeah, I understand." He let out a sigh. "Say, is it me or did that Chupacabra seem a lot harder to kill than the one at the Diggorys' house?"

Artimus furrowed his brow. "I wouldn't say killing that first one was easy."

"No, but think about it. It looked like it took longer for the wards to go off here than at the Diggorys'. Then when you tried to use the Constrictus Curse again," he stared at O'Bannon, "that thing jumped out of the way, like, a second before you finished the incantation. And that appearing and disappearing act it did. The Chupacabra at the Diggorys' house didn't do that."

"What are you getting at?" O'Bannon asked.

"It just seemed like this thing was better prepared for a fight than the one at the Diggorys'."

O'Bannon blinked and stared at the rug under him, thinking. "You think You-Know-Who may have modified the other Chupacabra more? Made them learn from the mistakes the one we fought made?"

"But how would You-Know-Who know everything that happened at the Diggorys'?" Artimus asked.

"The Order told the Aurors Office about the attack. They left our names out of it, but the Ministry of Magic knows the details of how the Chupacabra killed the Diggorys, and how it was killed. And you better believe You-Know-Who's got a bunch of spies inside the Ministry."

"And if the Ministry knows about it, then so does You-Know-Who." Jared scowled.

"Unfortunately."

"It makes me wonder . . ." Artimus said.

"Wonder what?" asked O'Bannon.

Artimus tightened his lips and stared at the floor.

"Well c'mon, buddy," Jared encouraged him. "Share with the rest of the class."

Artimus took a deep breath. "Well, I was, um, just wondering. What if the attack on the Diggorys was some sort of test?"

"What do you mean?" Jared canted his head.

"What do wizards and witches do when they come up with a new spell or potion or magical product? They test it out. See what works and what doesn't work before they reveal it to the genera public. Maybe that's what You-Know-Who was doing with the Chupacabra. Let one of them attack a home to see what went right and what went wrong. And if anything went wrong, he could get the other Chupacabra and fix them."

O'Bannon's head bobbed from side-to-side. "Makes sense. You-Know-Who may be evil, but that doesn't make him stupid. I'm sure he'd want to make sure those modified Chupacabra worked as advertised before letting them loose."

Jared snorted. "Well considering these things are running amuck up and down Britain, I'd say the evil s.o.b's worked out all the kinks in his little pets. Crap, the aurors probably have their hands full with this. Same with the Order of the Phoenix."

O'Bannon's eyes widened. He shot to his feet, staring at the fireplace, but not really seeing it. Fear and worry gripped his mind.

"Jimmy?" Artimus said. "Are you okay?"

He turned to him, then glanced at Jared. "Remember what Mr. Lupin said before we left? About how protecting Harry was our number one priority. About how You-Know-Who may have altered these Chupacabra specifically to go after him?"

"Well, yeah." Jared nodded. "But the Burrow probably has more security wards around it than any other home in Britain . . . then again, look how long it took for those wards to go off here and at the Diggorys'."

"And if the Chupacabra do go after Harry, and with all the attacks around the country the aurors have to deal with . . ." O'Bannon's voice trailed off. He noticed realization flare in the eyes of Jared and Artimus.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Jared.

O'Bannon held his breath before speaking. "I'm thinking we better get back to the Burrow, pronto."

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	19. Under Siege

**CHAPTER 19: UNDER SIEGE**

* * *

"What I don't get," Artimus said to O'Bannon as they flew over the darkened landscape of Ottery St. Catchpole, "is if You-Know-Who wants Harry so bad, why doesn't he just come after him himself? I mean, he's You-Know-Who. What do wards and aurors mean to him?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore told me once that You-Know-Who's plan is to operate behind-the-scenes more than last time, and not come out in the open until he has enough forces to take over England."

"Meantime, he just lets others do his dirty work for him," Jared piped up.

O'Bannon nodded. "Pretty much. Another thing, and Harry and Ron told me this a couple days ago. You-Know-Who's apparently scared of Dumbledore. Probably the only wizard on the planet he's scared of. He won't make any big moves so long as Dumbledore's around."

"Then let's pray for Headmaster Dumbledore's continued good health," said Jared. "May it last for a long, _loooong _time."

"Amen." O'Bannon nodded as the Burrow came into sight. He scanned the ground. No sign of any Chupacabra, as far as he could tell in the darkness. A shiver went up his spine. He prayed they hadn't gotten inside the Burrow. Images of the Diggorys' mutilated bodies assaulted his mind. He feared walking into the house and finding The Weasleys, Tonks, Harry and Lupin in a similar state.

_They__'__re __fine. __They__'__re __fine. __They__'__re__ –_

"STOP WHERE YOU ARE!" A magically amplified voice rocked the air.

The three of them stopped in mid-air. O'Bannon looked down at two silhouettes standing just off the path leading to The Burrow. Both had their arms pointed up toward him and his friends. No doubt they were holding wands.

"DECLARE YOURSELVES!"

"Declare yourselves!" O'Bannon shouted back. "Who the hell are you?"

"Aurors Klim and Blivet! What business do you have at this residence?"

He opened his mouth to answer, then stopped. "How do I know you guys are aurors?"

"Don't get cheeky with me. Identify yourselves now or we'll stun you."

O'Bannon chewed on his lower lip. These guys probably were aurors. It would make sense for the Ministry to send a few of them to the Burrow to bolster security.

Then he thought of the fake Mad-Eye Moody, of the stories he heard about Peter Pettigrew. How could he be sure of anything?

_Or __anyone?_

"Get one of the Weasleys, or Tonks or Mister Lupin. They can vouch for us."

"You don't give me orders. Now I'm giving you one last chance to tell us -"

"Ah! Bloody hell!"

One silhouette turned to the other. "What is it, Klim?"

"Damn garden gnome nearly ran into my leg. Stupid little bugger."

"Merlin's sake, forget about some stupid gnome." The silhouette turned back to O'Bannon and his friends. "Now you lot get down here, surrender your wands and brooms, and we'll -"

Suddenly another silhouette sprang up behind the two aurors, a larger and more monstrous one.

"Look out!" the three boys hollered at once.

The Chupacabra's hand lashed out. One of the auror's stiffened and collapsed. The remaining auror turned halfway around just as the monster buried its face into his neck. The man's screams quickly turned into sickening gurgles.

"C'mon!" O'Bannon yanked out his wand and dove at the Chupacabra. He aimed his wand, but had no clear shot.

"Dammit!" He scowled, watching the auror spasm as the creature tore into his throat.

O'Bannon leveled out and flew past the Chupacabra and the auror. He cast two Stunning Spells. One missed, the other clipped the creature's side. It turned around, still clutching the auror. O'Bannon circled around just as Jared and Artimus unleashed a barrage of stunners and Battering Spells at the Chupacabra. It stumbled back, releasing the auror. The man crumpled to the ground.

O'Bannon launched a rope from his wand. Jared conjured three spiked balls and flung them at the Chupacabra. It dove to the right. Fountains of dirt sprang up. The rope and the spiked balls soared over the newly created hole in the ground.

"Dammit!" Jared cursed.

"Guys!" Artimus shouted. "This one's still alive!"

Both O'Bannon and Jared flew back toward their friend, who was kneeling beside one of the aurors, a rather overweight wizard. O'Bannon winced when he saw half the man's face and throat missing, blood pouring onto the ground.

"Let's levitate him back to . . ." His voice tailed off when he saw the auror's eyes glaze over. His head sagged to the right.

"Aw man," Artimus whispered, staring at the dead wizard. "Aw man."

O'Bannon closed his eyes and looked away for a second. Dammit! Two more people dead. He should have been able to do something.

_The __Chupacabra__'__s __still __out __there!_ His brain screamed.

"We can't do anything for him. Get to the house, now!"

Artimus got back on his broom. The three flew toward the Burrow, just a few feet off the ground.

A deep thump echoed behind them. O'Bannon whipped his head around. The Chupacabra shot out of the ground and lunged for them. It just missed Artimus' broom by inches. He turned back around.

Two more Chupacabra approached from the left.

Jared cast one spell after another, trying to hold them off. O'Bannon pressed his wand against his throat.

"LET US IN! LET US IN!"

A second later the front door flew open. O'Bannon streaked inside, followed by Jared and Artimus.

"If you're really Jimmy O'Bannon . . ."

He ignored the rest of Lupin's words. "Close it! Close the damn door!"

Mrs. Weasley slashed her wand across her chest. The door slammed closed. Lupin then cast a Reinforcement Spell on it.

The door shook under two harsh thumps, but it held.

That's when O'Bannon noticed something skittering along the floor.

"What in Merlin's name?" Mrs. Weasley's brow furrowed. "Garden gnomes? In here?"

"Maybe the Chupacabra scared them," Tonks wondered aloud. "Figured this was the closest shelter they could find."

O'Bannon dismounted his broom. He stared at the three garden gnomes hurrying across the carpet. He remembered from his Care of Magical Creatures classes that garden gnomes rarely, if ever, entered a dwelling. Even if the Chupacabra did frighten them, they should have some hole nearby they could dive into.

Hinkey hairs went up on the back of his neck. He thought back to the attack at the Lovegoods', and just now with the two aurors. In both cases they'd spotted garden gnomes, then seconds later a Chupacabra appeared.

And back at the Lovegoods', that Chupacabra had vanished, then reappeared seconds after he and Jared saw the garden gnome.

He gazed at the three little creatures running around the living room.

_No __way. __No __friggin__' __way!_

"Kill 'em!"

"What?" asked Lupin, his eyes and wand trained on the door.

"The gnomes! Kill 'em before -"

The gnomes shimmered. Huge dark forms rose before them.

Where had stood three garden gnomes now stood three Chupacabra.

Mrs. Weasley gasped.

Tonks' eyes widened.

The three monsters roared and charged the group.

Shield Charms sprang from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's wands. Two Chupacabra slammed against the shields. The third leaped over a couch and right at O'Bannon and Jared. They dove to opposite sides. O'Bannon rolled on his back and sat up, wand raised. He cast a stunner. It struck the wall as the Chupacabra went for Jared. His friend scrambled on all fours, then dropped to his side and lifted his wand.

The Chupacabra's foot slammed down on Jared's side. He howled as the creature pinned him to the floor.

O'Bannon cast two Battering Charms. Both hit the Chupacabra's head. It stumbled, releasing Jared. Clutching his side, he pulled himself across the floor.

Tonks and Lupin dodged the swipes of one Chupacabra. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley held off the other with Shield Charms while Artimus hit it with Body-Bind Curses. It only slowed the Chupacabra, not paralyze it.

The third one charged O'Bannon. He cast a Shield Charm. The monster slammed into it, roared, then pounded the shield with its fists.

Jared got to his feet and moved behind the Chupacabra.

"_Protego!__"_

Another Shield Charm sprang from his wand and struck the Chupacabra's back, sandwiching it between the two shields. It roared and flailed.

"Jimmy! Drop your shield when I drop mine! Then we'll nail him again!"

He nodded. They both switched off their shields at almost the same time. The newly-freed Chupacabra nearly lost its balance. Grunting, it began to straighten up.

"_Protego!__" _he and Jared yelled.

Their shields slammed against the Chupacabra. It hacked and stiffened.

"Again!" O'Bannon lowered his shield.

That's when another Chupacabra came at him from the side.

He turned. The monster lashed out with its arm. He ducked just in time, feeling a swish of air over his head as the Chupacabra's strike missed.

O'Bannon whirled around and cast a Stunning Spell. Jared tried an Impediment Jinx. The Chupacabra spasmed for a moment, then lunged at O'Bannon.

"Look out!" Tonks hollered. She whipped her wand around. A potted yellow and green plant flew off a nearby shelf and shattered against the Chupacabra. Dirt spilled down its back and gathered around its feet.

"_Moltenus!__"_

The dirt on the Chupacabra glowed red and orange. It quickly took on a lumpy shape. Wisps of smoke rose from the creature's back. It jerked and wailed. The pile of dirt around its feet also became a glowing hot red and orange mass.

O'Bannon's eyes widened. Tonks had transfigured the dirt into molten lava!

The Chupacabra shrieked and crumpled to the floor. Its feet had been burned away, leaving scorched, blackened stumps. It went into spasms as the lava burned through its back and legs.

Glass shattered. O'Bannon looked to a window near the front door. A Chupacabra was trying to crawl through it.

He looked at the nearest piece of furniture, an old love seat with several patches. He cast a Levitation Spell. The seat hovered about four feet off the floor.

Clenching his teeth, O'Bannon slashed the air with his wand. The love seat hurtled across the living room and rammed into the Chupacabra just as it fit its shoulders through the window. The seat dropped to the floor with a thud. O'Bannon moved it aside with his wand. The Chupacabra was gone.

_Friggin__' __A! _He smiled.

That smile vanished when the Chupacabra appeared at the window again and started pushing itself through.

"Dammit!" he snarled, and looked back at the love seat. He switched his gaze to the Chupacabra covered in lava. The creature only twitched sporadically.

_Well __Tonks __isn__'__t __the __only __one __who __can __transfigure __stuff._

"Jared! Think you can turn that love seat to solid rock?"

"Hell yeah!" he nodded.

O'Bannon levitated the love seat. The Chupacabra at the window had pulled itself halfway inside.

"All right. On my ma-"

His feet suddenly left the floor. The carpet rushed up to his face. Pain exploded through his head. Something wet and sticky spilled from his lips and covered his chin. Groaning, he turned on his back.

The Chupacabra he and Jared had attacked with their shields released his ankle and aimed its red eyes at him.

O'Bannon clenched his wand hand. His chest seized.

His wand was gone.

He glanced behind him. His wand lay about two feet away.

The Chupacabra lunged at him.

O'Bannon brought up his left arm. He jammed it against the side of the Chupacabra's throat. The monster snarled and pushed back. O'Bannon gritted his teeth, trying to keep those sharp teeth away from him. But the Chupacabra was stronger, pushing closer to his face.

Blue flashes sprang from the Chupacabra's back. The beast snapped its head around as Jared cast another Stunning Spell.

Then Body-Bind Curses from Artimus and Tonks pelted the Chupacabra. O'Bannon could feel the beast stiffen. It turned back toward him, its movements in slow motion.

With a loud grunt, he shoved the Chupacabra. It rolled off him and onto its back. Jared dropped to his knees next to the monster. He jammed his wand into the Chupacabra's mouth.

"_Inflammo!__"_

The creature thrashed about. Jared shouted, _"__Inflammo!__"_ again, and again. Thick black smoke rose from the Chupacabra's mouth.

O'Bannon blinked in shock. His friend was setting the Chupacabra's insides on fire!

He scrambled across the floor toward his wand. He reached out to grab it.

A shadow fell across him. He looked up.

A Chupacabra stood over him. It roared and reached for him.

"NO!"

Someone jumped on the Chupacabra. Someone tall with brown hair.

_Artimus!_

Both the Chupacabra and Artimus spun around. They tumbled over a hassock and crashed to the floor.

O'Bannon snatched his wand off the floor. The Chupacabra drew back its head, then brought it down.

A tortured cry exploded from Artimus.

_**TO **__**BE **__**CONTINUED**_


	20. Blood Rage

**CHAPTER 20: BLOOD RAGE**

* * *

"Artimus!"

O'Bannon leapt to his feet. He shuddered at the sight before him.

The Chupacabra's teeth were buried in Artimus' shoulder. His friend cried out, kicking his legs.

O'Bannon roared and cast a Battering Spell. The bolt struck the Chupacabra between the shoulderblades. It jerked, lifting its head.

Jared appeared at his side. The two unleashed more Battering Spells. The Chupacabra wailed under the barrage and crawled away from Artimus.

_Oh __God._ O'Bannon gasped. Terror swelled within him.

Blood streamed from Artimus' shoulder. A lot of blood. It soaked his robes and pooled on the carpet. All the while, Artimus kept screaming.

"Art!" Both he and Jared hurried toward him.

Something moved nearby.

O'Bannon looked up. The Chupacabra rose to its feet.

His eyes narrowed. Rage boiled inside him, more intense with each second. Images flashed through his mind. He saw himself at eleven years old, fighting off the two Third Years who had been assaulting Artimus. He recalled looking down at that scared little boy with the bleeding lip and magically twisted ears, and helping him to his feet. At the time, he never imagined that boy would become one of his best friends.

Now, nearly seven years later, that best friend lay on a floor in a house in Britain, blood pouring from his shoulder. All because of this damn monster.

O'Bannon bared his teeth, his gaze locked on the Chupacabra. The creature stared back at him, baring its teeth. Teeth stained with blood. His friend's blood.

His entire body shook with rage.

The Chupacabra roared and charged.

"_FREEZIUM!__"_ Every ounce of fury within him flowed into his wand. The usual white beam produced by the spell had become an intense cone of ice and snow. It consumed the Chupacabra.

O'Bannon had no idea how much time passed before he snapped his wand down. He growled, staring at the statue of ice that had been the Chupacabra.

Jared hollered beside him. A Battering Spell flew from his wand and struck the frozen creature. It exploded into a hundred chunks of ice. The frozen debris clattered across the floor.

O'Bannon glared at the remains of the Chupacabra. A dark happiness sprouted inside him. He was glad it was dead, glad they had killed it. He hoped the son-of-a-bitch suffered just like . . .

_Artimus!_

He turned and looked down at his friend, who howled and clutched his shoulder. Blood continued to flow from it.

"Art!" He dropped to his knees, Jared squatting across from him.

"Oh, Merlin!" Artimus cried. "Oh Merlin, it hurts!"

O'Bannon trembled. Artimus' face had grown ashen. He had no idea if it was from fear or blood loss. Maybe a combination of both?

"Somebody help!" Jared yelled.

A split second later Mrs. Weasley and Tonks knelt beside them. O'Bannon happened to look past Tonks, and saw the last Chupacabra writhing on the floor with what looked like a Bubble-Head Charm around its head, suffocating it.

"_Accio __Towel!__"_ Mrs. Weasley summoned a towel from the kitchen. She forcibly had to move Artimus' hand from his shoulder and jammed the towel against the wound.

"You're gonna be fine, buddy. You're gonna be fine," O'Bannon repeated, staring at the blood on Artimus' robes and on the carpet. He'd never seen so much blood in his life.

"Tonks!" Mrs. Weasley turned to the auror. "Go to the bathroom and fetch some Pain-Dampening Potion, Anti-Infection Balm and Cut-Healing Paste."

"I'm on it." Tonks shot to her feet and hurried off, slipping twice on some of the ice fragments before bounding up the twisting staircase.

"Keep him calm," Mrs. Weasley ordered O'Bannon and Jared. "All this thrashing about could just make him bleed more."

O'Bannon gripped Artimus' arm, while Jared grasped the young man's non-injured shoulder.

"I don't wanna die!" Artimus cried out. "Please don't let me die!"

"You're not gonna die!" O'Bannon squeezed his friend's arm. "We're gonna fix you up, and you're gonna be fine, got it?"

"Jimmy's right, man," Jared said. "We've been looking out for one another for over seven years. You think that's gonna stop now? No way in hell we're gonna let you die. I mean, I still gotta get you laid!"

A smile flickered across O'Bannon's face. He then looked over to Jared and silently mouthed, "Keep saying funny stuff."

Jared nodded and stared back down at Artimus. "Hey. You remember that barmaid at The Warlock's Watering Hole in Ovenderburg? The one with the big, um, _you-knows._ I know you were sweet on her. When we get back to The States, we're goin' there, and I'm settin' you up with her. Got it?"

Artimus howled in pain, tears streaming down his eyes.

"Art!" Jared leaned closer to him. "I asked if you got that? Now answer me."

"Y-Yes," the word sounded strained.

"Good. Now start thinking of some good pick-up lines you can use on her. Can you do that?"

Artimus clenched his jaw and nodded. His thrashing grew less violent.

"Here! I got it!" Tonks charged down the steps, almost tripping over herself when she reached the bottom. She knelt beside Mrs. Weasley and set down the medicines next to her.

"Here. Get him to sit up."

O'Bannon and Jared obeyed Mrs. Weasley, easing Artimus to a sitting position. Tonks kept the towel pressed down on his shoulder while Mrs. Weasley picked up a glass bottle containing a dark colored liquid. She poured a bit of it onto a spoon she summoned from the kitchen.

"Drink this, dear. It'll make you feel better."

Mrs. Weasley held the spoon of Pain-Dampening Potion to Artimus' lips. He took a ragged breath, opened his mouth and took the potion. Within seconds his breathing became calmer and he stopped crying. Mrs. Weasley then applied the Anti-Infection Balm, followed by the Cut-Healing Paste.

"I'm going to contact Fred, George and Rosa," Lupin announced. "Have them come back here. If more Chupacabra show up we're going to need all the help we can get."

"I'd best summon Bill back here, too," said Mr. Weasley.

Moments later two patronuses flew out the busted window. O'Bannon bit his lower lip. Could more Chupacabra be on the way? They had a hard enough time killing these four. What if they had to face double that? Triple?

He held his breath. Realization slammed into him.

"There's still two more out there."

"What?" asked Tonks.

"Chupacabra." He got to his feet, clenching his wand. "There's two more of 'em around here."

He dashed toward the broken window.

"Don't go near that window!" Tonks shouted.

O'Bannon skidded to a halt a few feet from the window. He closed his eyes and groaned inwardly.

_Idiot! __Just __stick __your __head __out __the __window __and __let __one __of __those __damn __things __yank __you __outside __and __turn __you __into __a __late __night __snack. __You__'__ve __seen __enough __horror __movies __to __know __better._

"Let's get up to the roof," said Mr. Weasley. "We can try to spot them from there. Certainly much safer than wandering outside in the dark."

"Agreed." Lupin nodded. "Everyone else stay here in case -"

The shriek and crackle of spells echoed through the house.

Everyone whipped their heads around. O'Bannon strained his ears, trying to pinpoint the sounds. He focused on the staircase, and tensed.

The spells were coming from upstairs, where Harry, Ron and Ginny were.

He darted for the stairs, Mr. Weasley and Tonks right behind him. They pounded up the steps until they reached the top floor. O'Bannon raced down the hall. The sounds of pops and sizzles grew louder.

He shoved open the bedroom door. Harry, Ron and Ginny stood bunched together, casting spells out the window.

"What's going on here?" demanded Mr. Weasley.

Ron swung around. "Trying to get those two Chupacabra out there."

"I just happened to look out the window and saw those things skulking about." Ginny cast a Stunning Spell.

O'Bannon, Tonks and Mr. Weasley hurried over to them as Harry looked over his shoulder. "I must have hit one of them with three Body-Bind Curses. All it's done is just slow it down."

"Yeah, resilient bastards, aren't they?" O'Bannon scowled.

He stood on tip-toes and looked over the three. In the light of their spells he saw two Chupacabra darting about, trying to avoid the numerous multi-colored bolts. Ron nailed one with a stunner, which barely fazed it. Ginny hit another with a Jelly Leg Jinx. The Chupacabra didn't seem to notice.

"They're going around to the other side of the house," Ron blurted.

"C'mon." Tonks started toward the door. "We better . . ."

Spells suddenly streaked out of the sky. O'Bannon leaned out the window. He sucked in an excited breath.

Rosa and the twins dove at the Chupacabra. Fred and George surrounded the creatures in a ring of fire, while Rosa cast a Constrictus Curse. Vines shot through the ground and grasped the two Chupacabra.

A fourth broom rider appeared. Bill Weasley. An orange bolt streaked from his wand. The vines rose higher and higher, the Chupacabra struggling to free themselves.

Bill snapped his wand down. The vines slammed the two monsters into the ground over and over again.

A silvery beam emanated from Rosa's wand. Several sharp, pointy rocks broke through the ground.

The vines snapped down again, driving the Chupacabra into the rocks. They lifted the creatures, who hung limply, then drove them into the rocks again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The vines flung the mangled bodies of the Chupacabra onto the rocks. They lay there, unmoving.

"Oy!" Fred flew up to the window. "You lot okay?"

"Not everyone," Arthur answered. "Artimus is hurt pretty bad."

Fred's eyes widened. "Artimus? What happened?"

O'Bannon quickly ran down the battle for him.

"So You-Know-Who made these things into shape-shifters? And garden gnomes of all things."

"It makes sense," Tonks noted. "Gnomes don't set off wards, and they wouldn't arouse suspicion."

Fred bobbed his head back and forth, as if pondering Tonks' words.

"We'd best get downstairs and check on Artimus," said Mr. Weasley. "Fred. Get your brothers and Rosa and meet us at the front door."

"Right, Dad." Fred nodded and flew off.

O'Bannon followed Mr. Weasley and the others out of the bedroom and back downstairs. Bill stepped through the front door a second later.

"The Ministry just sent over two more aurors," he informed everyone. "They Apparated as we landed."

"Just two?" Jared shook his head. "Ya'd think with Harry here they'd send over every damn auror they have available."

"Unfortunately, the Aurors Office is spread thin. They're not only dealing with the attacks all over the country, but when I was at St. Mungo's I heard some of these Chupacabra got into the Ministry of Magic itself."

"You gotta be kidding." O'Bannon gaped at Bill. How the hell did these things get to the middle of London and into the Ministry?

_With __all __the __spies __You-Know-Who __has __at __the __Ministry, __you __gotta __figure __one __of __them __smuggled __some __Chupacabra __in __there._ Then another thought struck him. What if some of Lord Voldemort's sympathizers inside the Ministry were sending aurors off on wild goose chases, trying to keep them away from The Burrow? It probably wouldn't be hard, considering the chaos the Chupacabra had thrown Wizarding Britain into.

"Artimus!"

Rosa's cry made him jump. He whipped around and saw her rush through the door, dropping to her knees next to him.

"Oh Merlin, Artimus." She gently stroked his hair, looking at Mrs. Weasley. "Is he going to be okay?"

"All I've managed to do is slow the bleeding, not stop it. His wounds were caused by a dark creature. It's going to take more than what I can do to heal him."

Rosa's lips trembled as she continued to stroke Artimus' hair. "We gotta get him to a healer. Now!"

"I agree," said Tonks. "One of us needs to Floo him to St. Mungo's."

"I can do that." Bill raised his hand.

"Thanks, Bill." Rosa gave him a weak smile, then returned her attention to Artimus, who looked half-conscious.

"Speaking of Floo," Lupin began, "we should also consider Flooing Harry to one of our safe houses. If we have to face even more Chupacabra we may not be able to -"

Spells crackled outside. O'Bannon headed to the front door, where Fred and George stood in the threshold.

The two aurors backed up down the dirt path, casting one spell after another. Bearing down on them were a dozen Chupacabra.

"We've got company!" O'Bannon raised his wand, as did the twins.

"That tears it," Lupin declared. "We're Flooing out of here. Bill, you take Artimus to St. Mungo's. The rest of us will go to one of the safe houses."

Bill cast a Levitation Spell on Artimus. Lupin took a step toward the fireplace.

A crash reverberated throughout the Burrow.

"What the hell's that?" Jared looked toward the kitchen.

"Sounds like it came from the cellar," said George.

O'Bannon swallowed. _The __cellar?_ He thought about the Chupacabra's ability to burrow.

_Oh __no. __Don__'__t __tell __me__.__.__._

Four Chupacabra burst through the cellar door and charged them.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	21. Basic Instinct

**CHAPTER 21: BASIC INSTINCT**

* * *

Spells streaked across the living room. Several hit the Chupacabra. They staggered, but didn't go down.

O'Bannon cast a couple Body-Bind Curses when someone screamed outside. He turned and looked through the open door.

One of the aurors was down, a Chupacabra straddling him. The other auror continued to fight off the charging horde, bolts flying non-stop from his wand. Four of the creatures dropped to the ground. Another spiraled through the air, then bounced across the ground like a ball.

The auror turned to his fallen partner, wand leveled at the Chupacabra attacking him.

A geyser of dirt erupted behind the auror. A Chupacabra shot out of the ground and tackled him. Both man and monster fell to the ground. The Chupacabra raised a clawed hand, then brought it down on the back of the auror's neck. The man spasmed, then lay still.

"Dammit," O'Bannon snarled, his eyes locked on the dead aurors.

"Look out!" Fred hollered.

He spun around just as a Chupacabra rushed them, arms extended. Both Fred and George erected Shield Charms, stopping its charge.

O'Bannon peered around the Chupacabra. Jared, Rosa and the rest held off the other three with a variety of spells. His eyes flickered to the fireplace, then to the Chupacabra. Panic swirled in his chest.

The damn things had cut them off from the Floo Network.

A thump broke through his reverie. He turned back to Fred and George's shields to see the Chupacabra hurl itself against it.

"Upstairs!" Mr. Weasley shouted as he hit one Chupacabra with a Battering Spell. "Everyone! Now!"

O'Bannon followed Fred and George toward the staircase. The twins maintained their shields, which the Chupacabra continued to futilely attack. Mr. Weasley and Lupin stood by the bottom of the staircase, casting spells and curses as O'Bannon and the twins ran past them. They pounded up the steps until they reached the third floor, where the others had gathered. His gaze fell on Artimus, held in a Levitation Spell by Bill. Worry swelled within him. His friend looked so pale, and moved listlessly.

"We made a barrier out of some of the furniture at the base of the stairs," Lupin announced as he and Mr. Weasley hurried up the steps. "But that's not going to hold them for long."

"This might." O'Bannon stepped forward, raising his wand. _"__Freezium!__"_

Within seconds a huge, thick ice wall formed, blocking off the third floor landing.

"Good job, Jimmy." Tonks nodded at him. "That should buy us some more time."

"For what, though?" asked Jared. "We're pretty much trapped up here."

"We could always climb out a window," Fred suggested. "Of course, we'd still have to get through all those Chupacabra outside, and look how those two aurors fared against them."

"What about summoning our brooms?" Ginny looked around at the group. "We could just fly out of here."

The corners of Lupin's mouth twisted. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Why not?" Ron's brow furrowed. "Those things can't fly."

"No, but Death Eaters can."

A quizzical look fell over George's face. "What do Death Eaters have to do with anything?"

"Think about everything that's happened tonight," Lupin answered. "The attacks all across the country to draw away aurors. Chupacabra infiltrating the Ministry of Magic, causing more confusion. Now we have well over a dozen Chupacabra attacking us. None of this can be coincidence. This is a well-coordinated operation by You-Know-Who's forces, and it's definitely aimed at getting Harry."

O'Bannon looked to The Boy Who Lived, whose face had twisted into a mask of anger and guilt.

Lupin continued, "I wouldn't be surprised if You-Know-Who has some Death Eaters watching this house right now, either waiting to confirm that we're all dead or to see if we try and make a break for it."

"So then they can try to pick us off," Rosa scowled.

"Then maybe we should just hole up here," said Ron. "I can't see the Chupacabra breaking through Jimmy's ice wall, so long as we maintain it. And the Order or the Aurors Office are bound to send more people here eventually."

"You're forgetting one thing, Ron." Rosa's face tightened in concern. "Artimus."

All eyes turned to the floating young man.

"We can't afford to wait," she insisted. "Not with the shape he's in. We have to get him to the hospital now."

"I'm with you, luv," George turned to her. "Unfortunately, the damn Chupacabra have us cut off from the fireplace."

Dull thuds came from the ice wall. Through the ice they saw the distorted shapes of three Chupacabra pounding against it.

O'Bannon closed his eyes, trying to think of some way to get everyone out of here, and get Artimus to St. Mungo's. Anger and worry collided in his mind. He tried to push them aside. Instead all he could envision was one of his best friends dying because they couldn't get out of this house.

"There's gotta be a way to get past those things." Frustration stabbed through Harry's voice.

"Too bad we don't have some cows or goats to chuck at them," Fred piped up. "They'd probably forget all about us and go for them."

"For Merlin's sake, Fred," Bill glared at him. "Now's not the time for your damn, stupid jokes!"

"No, Fred's right." Rosa straightened up, her face brightening.

"I am?" Fred cranked an eyebrow.

O'Bannon's brow furrowed. "What'd you mean?"

"Remember what Hagrid said about the Chupacabra? That no matter how much You-Know-Who alters them, he still won't be able to get rid of their basic instinct. And what is the basic instinct of a Chupacabra?"

"To drink the blood of livestock," O'Bannon answered.

"Exactly."

"So how does that help us?" Ron shrugged. "We're a bit thin on livestock here."

Rosa turned to him. "Maybe. But we can always bring livestock _here._ Specifically, livestock that've already consumed Professor Snape's Pest Elimination Potion."

O'Bannon's eyes widened. "Glastonbury. That was one of the first places we dumped that potion. Every cow there oughta have it in their system by now."

"And how are we supposed to get those cows here?" Ginny flung her arms out to her sides.

"I can summon my broom and fly outside the wards. Then I'll just pop over to Glastonbury and side-along Apparate some cows back here."

"What about Death Eaters?" Concern flashed across George's face as he stared at Rosa. "What if, like Professor Lupin says, they're watching the house and attack you?"

"I think that's a chance we're gonna have to take," said O'Bannon. "Actually, that's a chance _I__'__m _going to take. I'll Apparate the cows here."

"Like hell." Rosa shot him a hard gaze. "This isn't a one-person job. You need someone covering your ass, and that someone is _me.__"_

He started to open his mouth to argue, but stopped. A determined look set in on Rosa's face, one that told him there would be no way in hell he could talk her out of this.

"Well it can't just be the two of you doing this," said Mr. Weasley. "You're going to need more help."

"No." O'Bannon raised a hand. "If these Chupacabra find a way around the ice wall while we're gone, you're gonna need every wand you've got to fight them."

"You should still have someone watching out for you here." Tonks folded her arms, looking as equally determined as Rosa. "I'll head up to the roof. If anyone, or any_thing_ attacks you, I can provide cover from there."

O'Bannon looked around at the group, waiting to see if anyone else had a suggestion or concern.

No one spoke up.

"All right, then. Let's do this."

He and Rosa started down the hall, followed by Tonks. A chorus of "good lucks" and "be carefuls" went up around them.

"Hey!" George reached out and grasped Rosa's wrist. She seemed to hold her breath as she stared at him.

George licked his lips. O'Bannon watched as an unfamiliar look came over his friend's face.

A look of dead seriousness.

George drew a deep breath, his eyes locked on Rosa. "You take care of yourself out there, hear? I want you back in one piece."

"I'll be fine. You take care of yourself, and everyone else."

Slowly, a smile crept across George's lips. He pulled Rosa to him and kissed her. She snaked a hand up his shoulder and cupped the back of his head.

When their lips pulled apart, Rosa laid her hand on George's cheek for a moment, then headed down the hallway.

"Oy, O'Bannon," George called out to him. "You look after her."

He nodded. "Count on it."

He turned and made his way down the hall. They soon reached the twins' room and went inside.

"Jimmy." Tonks halted by the door. She put a hand on his shoulder. O'Bannon felt a rush of heat surge through his body.

"Be careful. Both of you."

"We will." He covered the top of Tonks' hand with his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled, withdrew her hand, and continued up to the roof.

He and Rosa opened the window, held out their wands and cast Summoning Spells for their brooms. A couple Chupacabra skulked around the yard. O'Bannon guessed the others were inside The Burrow.

_Or __underground, __waiting __to __jump __out __and __get __us._

A distinct whistling of wind reached his ears. That had to be their brooms heading toward them.

"Rosa." He turned to her. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I treated you the way I did because of how you voted."

She snorted. "You picked a hell of a time for an apology."

"Look, if we don't get out of this . . ."

"We're going to get out of this." Rosa turned to him. Self-assuredness blazed on her face. "You can give me a proper apology _after_ we've killed these bastards."

O'Bannon just stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded. That's when their brooms reached the window.

He flew out first, followed by Rosa. Both had one hand on their broom handles and the other wrapped around their wands.

O'Bannon scanned the darkness for the Chupacabra. Both of them looked up and must have spotted him as they ran in the direction he was flying.

Several multi-colored bolts streaked down from the roof. The Chupacabra scattered.

_Thank __you, __Tonks._

O'Bannon and Rosa made it past the wards and landed just off the dirt path. He tensed as he dismounted his broom, expecting a Chupacabra to burst through the ground, or maybe a hidden Death Eater to zap him with a Killing Curse.

None of that happened.

"Let's go." He closed his eyes and pictured the pastures of Glastonbury in his mind. A sharp crack split the air. His body felt pulled in a thousand directions.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a darkened clearing. Several moos went up around him. He swung his head left to right. Five cows stared at him and Rosa. Two of them scampered off. The other three eyed him curiously for a few seconds, then went back to eating grass.

"Let's get to it." Rosa cautiously approached the first cow, talking to it in a gentle voice. "Hey. How are you doing? Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you."

O'Bannon started over to a brown and white cow munching on the grass, oblivious to his presence. A pang of guilt went through him as he looked at its face. It was so docile, so unaware of the life and death struggle many miles away at The Burrow. And he was going to dump this poor animal in the middle of it, to be killed.

_It__'__s __either __these __cows __or __our __friends. _Besides, these animals were going to wind up someone's meal eventually.

That bit of logic still couldn't rid him of these pangs of guilt.

He laid a hand on the cow. It didn't seem to acknowledge his touch.

Closing his eyes, O'Bannon Apparated with the cow.

A terrified "moo" pierced his ears. The cow bolted, knocking him on his ass. He scanned the outside of The Burrow in time to see another cow trotting away. The two Chupacabra gazed at the cows. One looked back at the house, then returned its eyes to the animals.

The creatures broke in to a run, each one targeting a cow.

"C'mon!" Rosa helped him to his feet. "There's a lot more Chupacabra to feed."

They returned to Glastonbury and Apparated two more cows back to The Burrow. He and Rosa cast stunning spells at the feet of the animals, driving them to the house and ultimately through the front door. They could hear snarls and growls from the Chupacabra within.

They made another trip to Glastonbury and Apparated back with two more cows. Again they drove them up to The Burrow. Three Chupacabra burst from the house and leaped on one cow. Clawed hands flashed up and down. Two of the monsters buried their faces into the cow's hide. O'Bannon cringed as he heard the agonized mooing. He turned away as the Chupacabra continued to ravage it.

That's when he saw the two Chupacabra who'd gone after the first cows he and Rosa brought here. The monsters staggered and emitted sickening hacks. One dropped to its knees, then fell face first into the dirt.

"It's working!" He turned to Rosa, smiling. "It's working!"

They Apparated back to Glastonbury. This time the remaining cows could sense something was wrong and started to bolt. He and Rosa had to stun them in order Apparate them back to The Burrow. Using Levitation Spells, they dumped these two by the back door. Two Chupacabra emerged and set upon the unconscious cows.

O'Bannon and Rosa flew around The Burrow. One Chupacabra that had attacked a cow by the front door lay on the ground unmoving. The other two swayed drunkenly and made sick, gurgling noises. Moments later they collapsed. He peered inside and found two other Chupacabra lying on the floor.

They hovered near the front door, O'Bannon perking up his ears, listening for any sign of Chupacabra.

All was silent.

He looked to Rosa, then nodded at The Burrow. She nodded back. The two slipped off their brooms. O'Bannon tried to keep his eyes off the mutilated cow lying at the doorstep as he stepped around it and the dead Chupacabra. He entered the living room, wand raised, Rosa right behind him. He swept his eyes and wand right to left, tensing, ready cast a spell.

The only Chupacabra he found were dead ones. Six to be precise.

He and Rosa moved to the kitchen. One Chupacabra lay by the table. They looked out the back door to find two others draped over a bloodied cow.

Stepping around the bodies, he walked a few feet into the yard and looked up to the roof.

"Tonks!" he called out with a magically amplified voice. "It looks we got 'em all!"

"Well done! I'll tell the others!"

He went back inside with Rosa. Exhaling, he leaned back against the kitchen table. All the knots in his muscles unraveled. Relief flooded through him. He was alive. _They_ were alive.

"Well, looks like we did it." Rosa stood across from him. "Good job, Jimmy."

He looked up at her. "Me? You were the one who had the idea to bring these cows back to The Burrow."

"Well you were the one who first thought the attacks all over England were a ploy to keep the Ministry busy while You-Know-Who sent all these Chupacabra after Harry."

"Okay, okay." He grinned. "So we both get equal credit."

Rosa chuckled softly. She continued to smile at him. He couldn't remember the last time she had smiled at him.

O'Bannon pushed himself off the table and strode over to her. He wrapped her up in a hug, resting his cheek on her shoulder. She tightened her embrace around him.

"I'm sorry, Rosa. I shouldn't have treated you so . . . badly. I should have been more understanding. Please forgive me."

She gently patted his back. "We're friends, Jimmy. Hell, we're more than that. We're family. Family forgives one another, no matter how stupid they act."

He felt a hitch in his throat. Smiling, he gave Rosa a peck on the cheek, and held her even tighter. What had he done to deserve such a great friend like Rosa Infante?

"Oy! That's enough, O'Bannon. My turn."

He and Rosa pulled apart just as George appeared, the others behind him. O'Bannon looked over his friend's shoulder as green flames gushed out of the fireplace. Moments later Bill stepped into them, levitating Artimus. They both vanished.

"Artimus?" Rosa stared around George.

"Bill's taking him to St. Mungo's. He'll be all right. Now come here."

George took Rosa by the waist and covered her lips with his. She moaned softly and ran her hands up his back and through his hair. Behind them, O'Bannon noticed Mrs. Weasley look away, though he caught a grin on her face.

He also saw Tonks stare at the kissing couple with a warm smile. Then . . .

_Did __she __just __glance __at __Lupin?_

No. He must be seeing things.

Jared walked around George and Rosa, who somehow still had enough oxygen to continue kissing. Shaking his head, and walked up next to O'Bannon.

"Man, do I have to stand here and watch my own cousin suck face with some guy?"

Rosa's lips parted from George's with a loud _smack._ She glared at Jared. "No. You can leave."

She smiled and went back to kissing George.

For the first time in many long days, O'Bannon laughed.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


	22. One Special Night

**CHAPTER 22: ONE SPECIAL NIGHT**

* * *

O'Bannon shoved his face inches away from the window, intently studying it. He frowned when he noticed a few cracks in the glass. Stepping back, he waved his wand and uttered the appropriate incantation.

The cracks vanished.

"That oughta do it." He smiled at his handiwork, then turned around.

The living room appeared pretty much the same as when he first arrived at The Burrow. Even with magic, it took most of the morning to clean up the mess and repair the damage from last night's battle with the Chupacabra. Mrs. Weasley still walked about the living room, poking her wand at the carpet where blood stains remained.

"There we are. Good as new." She gazed around the room with a satisfactory smile. "Good job, you lot. Thanks for all your help."

A chorus of, "you're welcomes" came from O'Bannon, Rosa, Jared, Harry, Ron, Ginny and the twins.

"Well, I think after all this work we've earned a spot of lunch. Go ahead and relax while I fix us up some sandwiches."

Mrs. Weasley headed into the kitchen. O'Bannon collapsed into the nearest chair, sinking into the cushions. He closed his eyes and sighed. Contentment washed over him. For the first time in two weeks, he felt relaxed. For a moment, the feeling seemed strange. Just twelve hours ago, he and his friends had been fighting for their lives against a bunch of mutated Chupacabra. Part of him felt he should still be out there, searching for monsters or protecting some family.

_It__'__s __over, __man. __It__'__s __over._

At least the fighting was over. For many families across Britain, the mourning had begun. According to today's _Daily__Prophet,_twenty-six witches and wizards died in the Chupacabra attack, with many more injured. The death toll included nine aurors. Nine less people to man the front lines in the war against Lord Voldemort.

O'Bannon tried to comfort himself with the knowledge he helped save several people, including Luna Lovegood's father, whom last he heard was recovering from his injuries at St. Mungo's.

Then he thought of the people he couldn't save, like Mr. and Mrs. Diggory. He wondered how long the image of their mutilated bodies would haunt him.

"Lunch is on!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen.

O'Bannon opened his eyes and, reluctantly, pushed himself out of the comfy chair. He glanced to the love seat he had used the night before to try and bash one of the Chupacabra. George and Rosa sat in it, snuggled together. Sighing, the couple rose and headed for the kitchen, holding hands.

They had just sat down, with Mrs. Weasley levitating a tray full of sandwiches toward the table, when the front door opened.

"Good afternoon, everyone." Mr. Weasley said cheerfully.

"What's your dearest ambition?" his wife asked.

"To find out how airplanes stay up."

Satisfied, Mrs. Weasley went over to her husband and kissed him on the cheek. "I wasn't expecting you home for lunch."

"Well, I had to take off from work for a bit to swing by St. Mungo's and pick up someone."

O'Bannon held his breath. Anticipation tingled within him.

Artimus walked through the front door.

"Artimus!" Rosa shot out of her chair and rushed over to him. O'Bannon and Jared were right on her heels. She threw herself onto Artimus and gave him a crushing hug.

"Ow!" He winced.

"Oh Merlin." She jumped off him. "Oh, Artimus. I'm sorry. Your shoulder. How is it?"

"The healers stopped the bleeding. They gave me a few potions and balms to help treat the bite, but . . . well, they said because it was from a dark creature, my shoulder's going to be permanently scarred. Plus there may be some pain whenever I move my arm. The bite was pretty deep."

O'Bannon's jaw clenched. He cast his eyes away from Artimus. Maybe if he'd reacted a little faster, his friend wouldn't be scarred for life.

"Hey. It could have been worse. I mean, I am still alive."

"Yeah." Rosa's eyes glistened. "And thank Merlin for that." She hugged Artimus again, more gently this time.

"Good to have you back, man." Jared grasped Artimus' good shoulder.

"Yeah. Glad to see you up and about." O'Bannon let Rosa move aside before giving Artimus a manly hug. "Thanks for saving my ass."

"You would have done the same for me. All of you."

A crowd formed around Artimus. Both Mrs. Weasley and Ginny hugged and kissed him. Harry and Ron shook his hand, while Fred and George mussed his hair.

"Come into the kitchen, dear." Mrs. Weasley practically pushed Artimus forward. "Goodness, look how pale you are. Did they even feed you at the hospital? Why even if they did the food at St. Mungo's is awful. That's what Arthur told me when he was there last year. Now sit down and eat."

O'Bannon and Jared couldn't help but smile as Mrs. Weasley hovered over Artimus, insisting he have another sandwich . . . and another, and another. And she constantly refilled his goblet with Pumpkin Juice.

"That'll get the color back in your cheeks," she told him.

"Don't worry," Harry whispered to him when Mrs. Weasley was out of earshot. "She's the same way with me every time I come here after my summers with the Dursleys."

"It's okay." A shy smile spread across his face. "It's actually kind of nice."

O'Bannon also smiled. He could only imagine how much Artimus enjoyed the extra attention from Mrs. Weasley. Coming from a family with a disapproving father and step-mothers that came and went, O'Bannon doubted his friend had anyone fuss over him like this.

"I heard from Tonks this morning," Mr. Weasley said. "The Ministry feels that most of the altered Chupacabra were killed last night. Even so, they're continuing to administer the Pest Elimination Potion across the country, and are coming up with spells to use on garden gnomes to determine which ones are real and which are Chupacabra in disguise."

"So much for You-Know-Who's grand plan, then," Fred quipped. "Wonder what's next for ol' dungbreath."

"He probably plans to alter flubberworms to have them poop in our shoes," George chuckled, as did Rosa.

"George!" Mrs. Weasley gave him a harsh stare. "Is that really appropriate talk for the kitchen table?"

George just grinned and shrugged. Mrs. Weasley's scowl grew more pronounced.

"Well, guys." Fred scanned the four Americans. "Looks like your mission's over. You saved us all from the horrors of the Chupacabra."

"Yeah. Yeah, it looks that way." O'Bannon stared at the half-eaten roast beef sandwich in his hand. His shoulders sagged as his eyes slowly swept around the table. He watched Rosa stare admiringly at George. Mrs. Weasley poured more Pumpkin Juice into Artimus' goblet, then leaned down and whispered something into his ear. Jared had struck up a conversation with Harry on which Patil twin he'd want to be with the most if given the choice.

O'Bannon sighed, thinking back to their first few days here at The Burrow, when they still thought this mission was a bunch of bullcrap. All the lively conversations around the kitchen table. Having the chance to reconnect with his British friends, and watching his three best friends forge strong bonds with the Weasleys and Harry Potter. Times like this, he could forget about the war raging beyond these walls.

But he could ignore reality only for so long.

"Jimmy? You all right?" Ginny asked.

"Huh?" He snapped his head up. "Um, yeah. Just . . . just thinking."

"About what?" asked Ron.

O'Bannon drew a slow breath. "About what Fred said. You're right, man. The Guild of the Light sent us here to help you guys with the Chupacabra. Well, after last night, it looks like you've got everything in hand. Whatever Chupacabra are still out there, you've got the means to deal with them. So I guess . . . I guess it's time for us to go home."

Silence descended around the table. The ever-present smiles of the Weasley twins vanished. A distressed look fell over Rosa's face as she turned to George. Ginny stared at her plate and sighed. Mrs. Weasley brushed something out of her eye.

Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. "Yes. Yes, I suppose you must. We all have our responsibilities in this war. Ours is here in Britain, yours is back in America."

He managed a brief smile before continuing. "Still, I think I can speak for everyone in this family when I say thank you for everything you've done. Not just for us, but for our country. We're truly blessed to have had four wonderful people such as yourselves come into our lives."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," O'Bannon said despite the lump in his throat.

"Thank you." Rosa's voice sounded strained as George wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Our pleasure." Artimus managed a weak smile.

"We're just glad we could help you guys, and get to know you better." Jared slapped Harry on the shoulder. "Especially after all the good things Jimmy said about you."

"Well I'll not let you go back to The States without a proper supper," Mrs. Weasley insisted. "Or a good night's sleep."

O'Bannon looked around at his friends. Rosa, Jared and Artimus didn't appear ready to argue with Mrs. Weasley on that.

Neither did he.

**XXXXX**

Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself with dinner. She had made the most delicious roast pork O'Bannon ever had, along with apple sauce and roasted potatoes. For dessert, they had a huge cake with chocolate fudge flowing over it like lava from a volcano. He frowned as he used his wand to stuff his clothes into his knapsack, thinking how much he would miss Mrs. Weasley's cooking.

_That __and __everything __else __here._

He closed his knapsack and sat on the edge of his coat. Yes he'd miss everyone in England, but it would be nice to get home again. See Talia. Was she still pissed at him? It had been almost two weeks since they last spoke. And his parents? Yeah, he was on his own, but two weeks without a phone call, an e-mail or an owl? Would they be worried about him?

"Jimmy Boy!"

He turned to see Fred enter the bedroom, carrying two bottles. "How's about a farewell drink?"

"Sounds good to me." He took one of the bottles and quickly examined it. "Dude, butterbeer? You couldn't find anything stronger?"

Fred shrugged. "My folks aren't much into 'stronger' drinks. Have to make do with what we have."

"I guess." O'Bannon cranked an eyebrow. "Wait a minute. Isn't there something wrong with this picture?"

"Like what?"

"Like there's only _one_ Weasley twin here. I'm not used to seeing this. It's unnatural. Where's George?"

"Oh, I imagine he's off with Rosa doing . . . well, you can probably guess what they're doing."

O'Bannon chuckled and got to his feet. He removed the cork from his butterbeer and clinked bottles with Fred.

"Here's to the Weasleys and our favorite Yanks saving the Wizarding World . . . again." Fred grinned.

The two took a gulp of butterbeer. O'Bannon stared at his bottle, the corners of his mouth crinkling. "Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Just thinking back to two years ago. I came over here thinking, 'Hey, I get to go to school for a year in another country. At Hogwarts, no less. This'll be cool.'"

"Ha! As I recall, you hated it at Hogwarts your first few weeks there."

O'Bannon laughed softly. "Yeah, I did. Hated you guys, too. You had no idea how much I wanted to hex you and George when you came up to me at the pond. Hex you or shoot a puck at you."

"Well, we're glad you didn't."

"Me too." He shook his head. "Never imagined things would turn out the way they did. Never imagined after I left Hogwarts, I'd be back here, _twice,_to help you guys fight a war. Never . . . never thought I'd be as close to you guys as I am with Jared, Rosa and Artimus."

Fred drew his head back. "You know, if you want to sound like a girl, I could go get some of Ginny's dresses, and we can make the transformation complete."

O'Bannon scowled at him. "And I never thought a total jackass like you would turn out to be one of my best friends."

Fred slapped a hand over his heart. "Oh. How touching."

O'Bannon shook his head and snorted, taking another swig of butterbeer. "I don't know what it is. I mean, I only spent a year at Hogwarts, but it just seems that school, Gryffindor House, you guys, all the other friends I made here, it just feels like it's all a big part of my life now. And I have a feeling it's going to be that way for the rest of my life."

Fred shrugged. "Can't say I'm surprised. Hogwarts seems to have a magic all its own. It's the sort of place that touches you forever."

O'Bannon's eyes widened in shock. "Dude, I didn't know you could be so deep."

"Who me? Nah! That's what Dad said before me and George left for Hogwarts. Or something along those lines."

O'Bannon rolled his eyes.

"But," Fred continued, "we obviously had some effect on you if you're willing to gather up your mates and come back here to save the day. Oy! Here's a thought. You can dye your hair black, mess it up, get some glasses, and become the American Chosen One."

"Ha! I have enough trouble just being a good foot soldier in this war, never mind trying to be the savior of the Wizarding World. Besides, I don't see Harry reveling in this 'Chosen One' stuff. Think I'll pass, thank you."

"Suit yourself."

"I will." He downed another mouthful of butterbeer. "Speaking of me coming back here, this is my second trip back to England since I left Hogwarts. You and George owe me a visit to the U.S. I still gotta take you guys to a Bruins game, or the Red Sox, depending on what time of year you come."

"You're absolutely right, Jimmy Boy. Besides, we need to look at expanding Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes internationally. Maybe set up a branch office in Boston or New York."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"Then it's settled. As soon as we're done kicking You-Know-Who's arse, you can expect George and me to be showing up on your doorstep."

O'Bannon shook hands with Fred. "I'll be looking forward to that day."

**XXXXX**

Rosa laughed as George pulled her across the darkened yard of The Burrow. She thanked Merlin she could laugh. It helped keep her building sorrow just under the surface. Sorrow that tomorrow she'd be going back home, leaving behind this charming, funny, caring, handsome man.

_Don__'__t __think __about __tomorrow. __Just __think __about __tonight._

"I can't believe I didn't think about this sooner," George said as he led her down the dirt path.

"Neither can I. Just think about all the alone time we could have had." She shook her head. "And here Jimmy went on about how ingenious you and your brother are. Looks like you're slipping."

George spun around, a look of mock hurt on his face. "Why, I can't believe after everything we've been through, you'd say something that hurtful."

She slapped his chest. "Get over it, you big wuss."

"Oh!" He rubbed his chest. "Jimmy should have warned me of the dangers of being with a girl who's tougher than me. Luckily, I do know your weakness."

"My weakness?" Rosa put her hands on her hips. "And what might that be?"

"Why the fact you are very, _very__.__.__._ticklish!"

In a flash he reached out, digging his fingers into her sides. She jumped and yelped, laughing uncontrollably. "Ahhh! No! No! Stop!"

He didn't, of course. She tried to reach around and tickle his sides. But George snatched her wrists and pulled her against him. She craned her neck, smiling as his lips descended upon hers. Elation flooded her as he wrapped his arms around her. They took quick breaths and resumed their kissing. She slid her hands across George's shoulders, then let her right hand glide through that lush, wonderful red hair of his. She pressed herself tighter against his body, tingles of pure energy shooting through her. Merlin, she was going to miss the feel of his body, the feel of his arms around her.

_Stop __thinking __about __that!_

Rosa pulled her lips away from George's. She rested her head just under his chin, closing her eyes and softly moaning as he slowly ran his hands up and down her back. Her embrace grew tighter, as though she was Muggle holding on to one of those life _pressovers._

"You know," she said as she felt George's chin rest on the top of her head. "I remember when Jimmy got back from Hogwarts, all the stories he told about you and your brother. I kept thinking how cool it would be to meet you guys."

"So are we as cool as you thought we'd be?"

"You certainly are," she grinned. "And your brother's not too bad, either."

He kissed the top of her head. Rosa felt a hitch in her breathing. She looked up at George, who met her gaze with his. She drew an unsteady breath before continuing. "Two weeks. Barely two weeks. I wish we could have had more time together. I wish this could have happened without a war going on. I just . . . I really . . ."

Her throat clenched. Her vision blurred. She willed herself not to cry. Not on their final night together.

She wanted to curse as she felt a tear roll down her cheek.

George reached up with his thumb and gently rubbed it away. Rosa feared her legs would give out.

"Um . . . uh, Rosa." He chewed on his lower lip for a few moments. "Um, I just wanted to say . . . well . . ." He paused to take a breath. "I've never met a girl like you before. I . . . I really like how strong you are, this adventurous spirit you have, how funny you are, and . . . and Merlin, you're just so beautiful."

Her insides trembled. She couldn't breathe. She continued to stare into his gorgeous eyes. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but knew if she spoke, she wouldn't get more than three words out before she broke down.

For a second, she wanted to regret falling for George Weasley. She knew her time in England would be brief. How could she let herself care so much for someone she knew she would eventually have to leave?

_How __could __I __not?_ George was smart, brave, nice, spirited, gorgeous. Most important, she knew he cared for her. She felt it that night after the Diggorys' died, the way he comforted her. She could see it in his eyes whenever she caught him staring at her.

_I __finally __meet __a __great __guy, __and __I__'__m __going __to __have __to __leave __him. __This __sucks!_

"I'm going to miss you so much, Rosa." George kissed her forehead, then her nose, her cheeks, and finally, her lips.

_This __really __sucks._

_No! It's going to suck tomorrow when I leave. Tonight, it's going to be wonderful._

Renewed energy surged through her. She gripped the back of George's head and rolled her tongue around and around in his mouth. When their lips separated, George looked at her with wide eyes.

"Wow," he said breathlessly.

"Plenty more where that came from." She grinned.

George smiled back and took her hand. "Come on, then."

They finally arrived at their destination. Mr. Weasley's shed, the one where he kept all his Muggle things. George opened the door. She followed him into darkness. She heard him swish his wand and utter an incantation.

Bright flames flickered in the middle of the shed. Rosa blinked at the suddenness of the illumination. With quick glances she caught sight of a several items, some of which she recognized from her stays at Jimmy's home. A small television. A vacuum cleaner. A blender.

Then she focused on the stands in the middle of the room. Each one had a brilliant red candle, flames dancing on their wicks. Another stand held a vase stuffed with roses.

"I tried to go with some sort of romantic feel." George placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hope I succeeded."

"It's perf . . ." Her heart sped up when she noticed what was in the center of the stands. A cot with red sheets and pillows. A cot large enough for two.

A shudder went through her. Her heartbeat became deafening.

_Oh __Merlin. __Oh __Merlin._

She turned to George, sensing the anxiousness in him.

"Rosa, look, I . . . It's just, who knows if we'll ever see one another again. And who knows what'll happen with this war going on. And you're just . . . you really mean a lot to me, and I just want us to have one special night together."

She swallowed against the lump in her throat and looked into his eyes. She could see this wasn't about making her a notch in his wand. He wanted this to be deep, meaningful.

Her stomach flipped over. She couldn't remember a time when a guy made her feel so special.

"I want that, too." She stood on tip-toes and kissed him.

Suddenly the world whipped past her. She yelped as he scooped her up in his arms.

"George!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She smiled wide as he carried her to the cot and gently laid her down. George lowered himself next to her, playing with strands of her hair before kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his back as their kissing grew fiercer. His lips moved down her neck. He grasped the bottom of her sweater and started to pull it up.

Rosa leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and surrendered herself to sheer ecstasy.

_**NEXT: **__**FAREWELL **__**TO **__**ENGLAND**_


	23. Farewell To England

**CHAPTER 23: FAREWELL TO ENGLAND**

* * *

O'Bannon noticed everyone ate their breakfasts slowly, as if wanting to delay the inevitable parting of the ways. He couldn't blame them. They'd all grown closer over these past two weeks. He'd heard from Jared's and Rosa's parents that war tended to do that. There was nothing like watching one another's backs or saving one another's lives that forged bonds between wizards and witches as strong, or even stronger, than those between brothers and sisters.

And no one had become closer than George and Rosa.

He stole a glance at the couple. They talked rather animatedly, though O'Bannon could see in Rosa's eyes that it pained her to have to leave him. That and the fact she looked kind of tired. Considering George hadn't been in his bed when he woke up, he had a fairly good idea what those two had been doing most of the night.

Eventually, everyone had eaten their fill. The four Americans trudged up the twisting staircase to collect their bags, Rosa moving the slowest of all. When they came back down to the living room, Mrs. Weasley waited for them with what looked like folded sweaters in her arms.

"I couldn't let you leave without some sort of good-bye present. It isn't much, but I hope you like it."

She handed them each a thick sweater, red with gold trim. The colors of Gryffindor House. He glanced over at his three friends. Jared, Rosa and Artimus had never been sorted at Hogwarts, but after Ovenderburg, The Longathian Tunnel Affair and the Chupacabra Attacks, they certainly possessed the spirit of a true Gryffindor.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Rosa smiled. "This is really nice."

"Yeah. Thanks." O'Bannon held the sweater in front of him. He remembered seeing Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and Harry wear these same sort of hand-knitted sweaters during their time together at Hogwarts. For Mrs. Weasley to make them for the four of them, well, they must have made a serious impression on her.

"It's the least I could do." Mrs. Weasley's eyes glistened. "You've done so much for our family, and I want you all to know that you will always be welcome in this house. Always."

She hugged the four of them and kissed them on the cheek. Looking to one another, the quartet nodded and donned the sweaters.

Mrs. Weasley smiled as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Everyone went outside, slowly walking to the Apparation point. Just before they reached it, a flurry of hugs and handshakes and back slaps and tears took place.

"You guys take care of yourselves," Harry said to O'Bannon and Jared.

"Us?" O'Bannon shook Harry's hand. "You're the one with the insane, evil wizard gunning for you. Take care of _yourself.__"_

"Ah, don't worry about our man Harry." Jared slapped the younger wizard's shoulder. "He sent that slimeball packin' once before. He can do it again."

Harry responded with an uncomfortable smile.

"Oh yeah." Jared leaned closer to him. "And if I'm ever back in England, see if you can set me up with one of those Patil twins."

"Aw jeez." O'Bannon rolled his eyes.

Jared ignored him. "Hey. Maybe you and me can double-date with them."

Harry shook his head. "Ron and I did that with them at the Yule Ball. It didn't work out too well."

"Fine then. I'll take 'em both."

O'Bannon groaned and readied a smart-ass comment for his friend when he heard Tonks call his name. He smiled as she strode up to him and hugged him.

"You know," she began. "I don't care how bad you botched the Potions part of your NEWKs, you still would have made a great auror. Hell, you're better than some of the lunkheads I have to work with at the Aurors Office."

O'Bannon chuckled softly. "Thanks, Tonks." He then thought about how bummed out she'd been when he first got here. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine." She gave him a peck on the cheek and backed away. "You take care of that sexy arse of yours, hear?" She winked at him.

"You take care of _your_ sexy ass." A pang of guilt went through him as he thought of Talia. He couldn't wait to see her again.

"See you around, Jimmy O'Bannon." She shot him her patented wry grin before turning around and hugging Artimus good-bye. Next to them, Rosa and Ginny embraced one another.

"I'm gonna miss you, Ginny. Don't take any crap from that silver-haired harpy, or any of your brothers."

"You know I won't. Merlin, I wish you could come to Hogwarts with me. You, me and Hermione would have a blast there."

"Jimmy?" A dreamy voice floated over him.

He swung around. His eyes widened when he saw Luna Lovegood sauntering up to them.

"Luna!" Harry blurted. "What are you doing here?"

"I just . . . oh. Are you having a going away party for Jimmy and his friends? Oh dear. Perhaps I should go. I wasn't invited, after all."

"What?" O'Bannon's face scrunched. "Heck no, you don't have to go. Besides, we wanna know how your father's doing."

"Oh, Daddy's doing well. The healers say he'll need to stay at St. Mungo's for another day or two. He'll have permanent scars on his back, seeing as he was attacked by a dark creature. But he'll be up and about soon."

"Oh, that's wonderful, dear." Mrs. Weasley hugged Luna, who seemed taken aback by the gesture.

"I'm glad to hear that." O'Bannon nodded.

"Yes." She stepped away from Mrs. Weasley. "I just want to thank you for helping us, and for saving Daddy. That was so nice and brave of you. Oh, and Artimus. I heard you got hurt by a Chupacabra. Are you all right now?"

"Um, yeah. My shoulder's still sore, and it's going to be scarred. But other than that I'm fine."

"That's good to hear. Well, have a nice trip back to America. I hope to see you again, Jimmy. And your friends. You're all very kind people."

"Um, yeah. Thanks. See you around, Luna."

She beamed at them, turned and skipped off.

Jared appeared next to him, cocking his head as he watched Luna depart. "You know, I just realized something."

"What?"

"That Luna chick. When you really think about it, she ain't bad looking."

O'Bannon groaned and walked away from him.

"What!" Jared exclaimed.

He just shook his head, remembering how Jared eye-humped nearly every female in the D.A. their last time over here.

_What __is __it __about __England __that __makes __him __hornier __than __usual?_

They finished up their good-byes and headed to the Apparation point. Rosa, however, wasn't ready to go yet. She and George held one another in a crushing embrace.

"Don't you ever forget me, George Weasley." Rosa's voice cracked.

"No chance of that happening, luv. Not even if someone obliviated me."

They shared a last kiss, one that lasted so long it made O'Bannon marvel at their lung capacity.

When their lips parted, they held hands, staring longingly into each other's eyes. Somehow, Rosa managed to let go and walked over to them.

His heart went out to her. He'd seen Rosa go out with some real jerks during their time at Salem. George, however, was the polar opposite of a "real jerk." More than anything, he wished things could have worked out for them.

He studied Rosa, noticing how tight her face muscles were.

_She __must __be __putting __up __a __hell __of __a __fight __not __to __cry._

O'Bannon sighed and stared at the ground. For the first time, he truly understood Mireet's reasoning for them not getting together. Their parting at Hogwarts had been rather emotional. He could only imagine how much more emotional it would have been if they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

Jared frowned as Rosa joined them. He put an arm around his cousin and rubbed her shoulder.

"Thanks, Jared," she said in a whisper.

They turned back to the Brits and waved. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Tonks, Lupin, Bill and Fleur all waved back.

O'Bannon fought back his own tears and forced down the lump in his throat. "C'mon, gang. Time to go."

Four sharp cracks split the air. Darkness fell over him. Seconds later his vision returned. Salt air wafted past his nostrils. He looked out over the Cliffs of Dover to the English Channel below. On the horizon he could just make out the coastline of France.

They mounted their brooms and flew over the water until they reached Calais. The quartet then trekked a few yards over to the bush where they hid the port key and extracted it with their wands.

O'Bannon scowled as he stared at the rusted metal bucket. "Man, I hate traveling by port key."

Rosa snorted. "Beats flying on one of those Muggle airplanes any day."

He briefly grinned at that, remembering how Rosa freaked out when they took an airliner during their last mission to England.

They put their hands on the bucket. O'Bannon clenched his teeth as hurricane-like winds battered him. He shot forward at incredible speed, fighting the urge to scream.

It all came to a sudden halt. He opened his eyes and looked around. The sun had just come up. They stood on the same hill, surrounded by the same expanse of leafless trees that they'd port keyed from two weeks ago.

A smile spread across his face.

They were finally home.

"Home sweet home." Jared clapped his hands together. "What now?"

"We should probably check in with your folks," O'Bannon said. "Give 'em the skinny on everything that happened in England."

He noticed Rosa cast her eyes to the ground. She and Mrs. Diaz had a big fight before they left for England. He prayed that those two would be able to patch things up.

They Apparated to Artimus' apartment in Haypippil Square, which he shared with his brother Hector. From there they Flooed to the Diaz home in New England, where they were met by Jared's parents. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged. O'Bannon noted the reunion between Rosa and Mrs. Diaz was a bit chilly.

Mr. Diaz Floo called Rosa's parents and Hector, who arrived minutes later. They all gathered in the basement. The quartet recapped everything that went down involving the Chupacabra. The Guild members reacted with open jaws and wide eyes.

"I don't believe it," uttered a stunned Mrs. Infante. "The magic it would take to alter Chupacabra like that is inconceivable."

"This is You-Know-Who we're talking about, sweetheart." Mr. Infante turned to his wife. "He tends to specialize in magic everyone thinks is impossible."

Mrs. Diaz took a seat and shook her head. "I never imagined . . . how could we have been so stupid?"

"Liana," Mr. Diaz spoke. "This isn't your fault. None of us knew You-Know-Who would be using Chupacabra for this."

"Well we should have known. Why else would that monster want those pests? We should have suspected he'd have something more sinister in mind for them than just setting them on livestock. Dammit, we're not amateurs at this. And our children almost paid for it with their lives."

Mrs. Diaz scowled and shook her head. "We need to do a better job with our intelligence gathering. I'm going to bring that up the next time we meet with the Guild's regional leaders."

"Hopefully our new lines of communication to Europe will help with that," said Mrs. Infante.

O'Bannon's brow crinkled. "What new lines of communication?"

Mrs. Infante looked to him. "We just set it up today. We've linked up with the wizarding offices in the British, French, German, Swedish and Bulgarian embassies in Washington to feed us intelligence from Europe and maintain communications between our two continents."

"How?" asked Jared.

His mother answered. "It took some doing, but some of the Muggle-borns in the Guild and our sister societies came up with spells to use phones, _e-mills_ and _facts-is_ to send messages between the U.S. and Europe. They'll be received on the Muggle side of the embassies, but they'll have a charm on them so our wizarding contacts in those embassies can detect them. They'll also be charmed in such a way that to Muggles, and hopefully to our enemies should they find some way to intercept them, they appear as routine correspondence. Things like ordering new office supplies and such."

"Cool," said O'Bannon. Jared nodded.

Mrs. Diaz stood up, holding her breath as she looked over the quartet. "I'm so sorry I put you in this position. Had I known just how dangerous this was . . ." She bit her lip for a few moments before continuing. "That being said, you did a magnificent job in England, and helped prevent what could have been a serious blow to our side. You should all be proud of yourselves, because we're all proud of you."

The four thanked her. O'Bannon felt a swelling of pride in his chest. Two years ago he could never imagine himself fighting a war. Now after three successful missions, after being complimented by aurors like Tonks and Mrs. Diaz . . .

_Maybe __I __do __have __what __it __takes __to __be __a __good __soldier._

"So . . ." Mrs. Infante stood and clasped her hands. "Would anyone like breakfast before you leave?"

"Um, actually, Aunt Adelaide . . ." Jared raised a finger. "We ate before we left England. You know, it's like a five-hour time difference between here and there. I don't know about you guys, but I'm still stuffed."

"Me too," Rosa piped up. "Mrs. Weasley's a great cook. Actually, I'm gonna have to do a lot more running to burn off everything I ate over there."

"Yeah, like about three more years of running," Jared sniggered.

Rosa swatted him on the arm. He still kept laughing.

The meeting over, everyone started for the stairs. Mrs. Infante and Hector fussed over Artimus' shoulder.

"Really, I'll be fine," he told them.

"Yeah, quit your worrying." Jared leaned over to Artimus and tapped his arm. "Besides, you know what they say. Chicks dig scars."

"You think so?"

"You'll find out when I take you to the Warlock's Watering Hole." Jared waggled his eyebrows. He then looked past Artimus to his cousin. "Yo, Rosa! You comin'?"

"In a minute." She turned to Mrs. Diaz. "Um, Aunt Liana? Can I . . . can I talk to you? Privately?"

O'Bannon locked his gaze on Rosa, mentally wishing her good luck. He followed the others up the stairs.

**XXXXX**

Rosa waited until she heard the door close. She looked back at Aunt Liana. She had been rehearsing this in her mind for a good chunk of yesterday, trying to find the right words, fretting that no words would be appropriate after what she had said to her aunt.

She drew a couple deep breaths and opened her mouth. Her vocal cords froze. She just stared at Aunt Liana. A wave of memories hit her. The two of them pretending to duel with fake wands when she was little and Aunt Liana babysat her. The exciting, action-packed bedtime stories she told her and Jared the many times she stayed the night here. All the Christmases and Thanksgivings spent together. All the advice she had given her on how to be a good auror, and more importantly, what it meant to give of yourself to serve the Wizarding World.

Then she remembered the argument. Those hurtful words. _"__You__'__re _only _my __aunt!__"_ _Only_ my aunt. Like Jared's mom was one of those aunts she saw at the occasional family reunion, spoke with for a couple minutes, then didn't see again for years.

Liana Diaz was much, _much _more than just an aunt to her.

Again, Rosa tried to speak.

Instead she hurried over to Aunt Liana and wrapped her arms around her. She gritted her teeth, trying not to cry. She'd cried way too many times over the past two weeks.

But she could not contain her sobs.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Liana. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean all those awful things I said. Please, forgive me."

Aunt Liana didn't answer right away. Fear gripped Rosa's inside. Would her Aunt ever forgive her?

"I do forgive you, honey." Her voice sounded a bit shaky. Rosa cried harder when she felt her aunt lay a gentle kiss on her temple.

She sucked down a ragged breath. "There . . . there were times over in England when . . . when I thought I might die, and I was so afraid that I was going to die with you still hating me."

"Oh, Rosa. Sweety, I could never hate you. I love you. Even when we argue, I still love you more than you can imagine. You have no idea how worried I was for you when you were in England. You and Jared and Jimmy and Artimus. There were times when I feared something . . . something might happen to you, and the last words between us would be words of anger. We can't . . . we can't have that happen. Not in these times."

Rosa hugged Aunt Liana tighter. Both of them sobbed unabashedly.

She pulled away some from her aunt and looked her in the eye. "I swear, I'll never do anything like that to you again."

Aunt Liana gave her a half-smile. "Rosa. I suspect we'll have another argument somewhere down the line. And another, and another. Let's face it, you're strong-willed, passionate, and sometimes you don't know when to keep your mouth shut. But I think your instructors will be able to . . . _mollify _those traits with a few swift kicks to your ass."

Rosa couldn't help but chuckle.

Her aunt continued. "All families argue. You just have to be conscious of some of the words you chose, because sometimes people say things that are difficult to take back, or that can't be rectified with a simple, 'I'm sorry.' But even when those things happen, it doesn't mean all hope is lost. It just means you have to work longer and harder to repair the damage that's been done."

Rosa nodded.

Aunt Liana smiled at her and gently grasped her shoulders. "And to be honest, I think some of the things I said to you before you left for England . . . well, I could have phrased them better. You and your friends handled yourselves in Ovenderburg and at Hogwarts better than anyone your age could be expected to. I meant what I said about you being inexperienced. You are. All eighteen-year-olds are. The only way you get a lot of experience is by living. But you are already an incredibly talented witch. And I have no doubt that one day you'll be as good an auror as anyone in this family. Maybe even better. And I am looking forward so much to three years from now when I get to watch you graduate from auror training."

"I hope when I do graduate, I get assigned to your office. I think you'd be a cool boss."

Aunt Liana chuckled. "Well, as Chief Auror of Magical Investigation for the New England Region, I think I may have some pull to get you assigned to me. How else am I going to keep an eye on you?"

Rosa's sobs turned into laughs.

They hugged again.

**XXXXX**

After Flooing back to Artimus' apartment, O'Bannon Apparated outside his apartment building. He checked over the narrow red brick structure and sighed. Much as he missed his friends in England, he had to admit it felt good to be home.

He mentally checked off all the things he had to do. First off, get in touch with Talia and begin smoothing things over with her. _Oh __man. __I __hope __she __took __care __of __Espo._ He shook off his concern. No matter how pissed Talia got at him, she'd never let his owl starve to death.

He walked toward the front door of the apartment building. What else did he have to do? Oh yeah. Call his parents. Would they be worried not hearing from him for two weeks? They knew about this renewed Wizarding War. The parents of all Muggle-borns did. But they had no clue about his involvement with the Guild of the Light. And since he didn't want them to completely freak out, he planned to keep it that way.

_What __else?_ He looked to the darkening sky as he reached the small porch. _What __else?_

The front door flew open. A figure rushed out. Female.

Talia.

He jumped back, surprise bursting within him as he set eyes upon his girlfriend. She must have come by to feed Espo. Great stroke of luck.

"Talia! God, I missed you so much. I'm really, really sorry I couldn't -"

She slapped him across the face.

His jaw fell open. He ignored the electric stings on his cheek, completely overwhelmed with shock.

"Ta-Talia? What the hell?"

That's when he noticed the tear streaks on her dark face.

"How could you? How could you, you bastard!"

O'Bannon blinked, rubbing his cheek. "What? What are you talking about? Why did you slap -"

"Was it all lies!"

A look of bewilderment came over his face. "Huh?"

"Her!" She pointed back to the apartment. "She came here looking for you! All those times you said you had to work late, all those meetings with school friends, all that stuff you said you had to do for the Office of Wizarding-Muggle Relations. It was all lies! Excuses to see her. Am I right?"

"Talia. What are talking about?"

"You've been cheating on me!"

Paralysis gripped him. His mind refused to process those words.

"All those times you said you loved me, that I was beautiful. All those nights we made love. It was all a lie! All this time you were seeing someone else!"

"Wha-What? Talia, I never cheated on you."

"Then why is she standing outside your door? Why does she want to see you?"

"Who are you talking about?"

She shook her head. More tears streamed down her face. "You're pathetic." She pushed past him and stormed off. "I never want to see you again, you son-of-a-bitch!"

O'Bannon gaped as Talia stomped away from him. He was barely aware of the stares he received from witches and wizards walking along the cobblestone streets.

"Ta-Talia. Talia, wait!"

She Apparated.

He just stared at the spot on the sidewalk where she'd been moments before. _She __.__.__. __she __broke __up __with __me._

He couldn't move. His mind struggled to accept what just happened. She'd slapped him, called him a bastard and a son-of-a-bitch. Accused him of cheating on her. What? Where had that come from? And who the hell was this woman she said was waiting for him outside his apartment?

Something clicked inside his brain. The warrior part of him. The part that had guided him through his battles with Death Eaters and aurors and Chupacabra. The part filled with lessons on security from the Diazes and the Infantes.

Was someone here to ambush him?

Wand out, he went up the steps and entered the apartment building.

His heart raced. Sweat formed on his brow. He gazed up the steps, eyes locked on the landing. Tension crushed his muscles as he expected a Death Eater to jump out any moment.

He slowly took the stairs, holding his breath, keeping his footfalls as gentle as possible.

Halfway up the steps, he saw a shadow against the wall. He froze. Someone was up there.

O'Bannon moved again, the muscles in his neck clenching at the slightest creak under his feet.

Three more steps to go. Two more. One more.

Squaring his shoulders, he drew a breath and swung his head and arm around the wall.

"Don't move!"

A tall woman stood by the door, pointing a wand at him.

Another fist of shock belted him. He couldn't blink as he took in the woman's long blond hair, her athletic frame, the soft features of her face, a face he knew so well.

"Mireet?"

She blinked. "Jimmy?"

The warrior part of his mind screamed through the surprise that gripped his brain. He kept his wand trained on her. "At Hogwarts, why did you enjoy jogging by the lake every morning?"

"I did not jog by the lake. I swam in it because I found it invigorating. Now why do you like the Weird Sisters?"

"I don't. The only Wizard Rock bands I really like are Deadly Curses and Frozen Aurora."

Mireet Miradeaux lowered her wand. "Jimmy. It is so good to see you again."

He lowered his wand as Mireet bounded over to him. She hugged him and kissed him on both cheeks.

"I . . . I don't believe it," he stammered.

"I know. There were times I thought I'd never see you again. I feel so fortunate to be assigned here." She broke the hug, a look of distress falling over her beautiful face. "Oh. That girl who was here before. She said she was your . . . girlfriend. And I heard shouting downstairs. I hope I did not cause any problems between the two of you."

"No. No, I can . . . handle it." Somehow he doubted that. "But . . . what are you doing here?"

"I work at the French Embassy in Washington. I just arrived last week. Officially I'm a cultural expert aide to our wizarding ambassador, but really I'm working for _Force __d__'__Vigilant_." She referred to France's version of the Guild of the Light. "My assignment is to decipher the messages we receive from Europe and pass them on to your Guild of the Light. Also, I'm to keep you and your friends updated on anything that happens at Hogwarts in regards to the war. I can even pass messages along to Fred and George and our friends there if you want."

She smiled that warm, gorgeous smile of hers and hugged him again. "This is so wonderful, no? We will actually be working together."

"Yeah. Yeah, it's great."

Had he not been so overwhelmed by the shock of Talia breaking up with him and Mireet suddenly appearing on his doorstep, he might have been able to smile.

_**NEXT: THE ONCOMING STORM**_


	24. The Oncoming Storm

**CHAPTER 24: THE ONCOMING STORM**

* * *

_SIX MONTHS LATER_

Sweat soaked through Jimmy O'Bannon's green Boston Celtics T-shirt as he completed his arm curls and set down his dumbbells. He exhaled loudly, grabbed a towel draped over the top of his kitchenette chair, and wiped his damp face. He embraced the natural high he got after working out. Certainly a better way to wake up than by downing two or three cups of coffee. Push-ups, crunches, stretches, calisthenics, weights. That's how he usually spent his first waking hour. He wished he could get some running in as well, but that would be unwise early in the morning. Haypippil Square was usually deserted at this time. Running alone only invited an ambush by any Death Eaters that might be lurking in the shadows.

Oh well, he may not be able to run, but at least he could skate a lot at the Young Wizards and Witches Athletics and Activities Association. His hockey program had really taken off. It still surprised him how many young wizards and witches took an interest in learning Muggle games. He couldn't help but smile every time he took the ice with those kids, seeing their joy as they scored a goal or just simply raced up and down the rink. Another part of him took each hockey lesson as a way to stick it to You-Know-Who's bunch and their pureblood supremacist crap.

And again, skating was another way to help stay in shape. He needed to be in the best physical condition possible, being a soldier in the war. Too many witches and wizards didn't give a damn about exercising, feeling any fighting can be done with a wand. Those people forgot that casting offensive and defensive spells took a physical toll on the body. The better shape you were in, the longer you could last in a fight. That's what Rosa, her parents and Mrs. Diaz had told him.

He stretched his arms, tight from all the lifting, thinking about the war. Sure the Guild still had him checking the internet for news of "suspicious" accidents, "suspicious" meaning likely caused by Death Eaters. But he and his friends had been involved in more field work of late. Back in March, they teamed with Jared's father for a werewolf hunt along the North Carolina coast. After battling those mutated Chupacabra in England, taking down a werewolf seemed easy. In April, they joined Mr. and Mrs. Infante in sending a horde of Dementors packing from a wizarding community in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

There hadn't been much going on since then. A lull in the fighting Mrs. Diaz had called it. She explained that happened sometimes in war.

O'Bannon wanted to be glad the Death Eaters stayed relatively quiet these past few weeks. It gave him a chance to actually have something of a normal life. But this uncomfortable feeling niggled at the back of his mind. Like this lull was the proverbial calm before the storm.

_Or maybe you're just paranoid._

But these days, could anyone afford _not_ to be paranoid?

He grabbed a jug of water from the ice box and took a couple gulps. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and scanned the moving photos that hung from the wall. One in particular caught his attention. Him and Mireet Miradeaux, taken the night of the Yule Ball. He'd kept it in his closet the entire time he'd been together with Talia Laribee. But after their break-up, which resulted in her moving back to Ohio where her family lived, he decided to hang it up.

He slowly scanned the glimmering silver dress that hugged Mireet's body. Memories of that night flashed through his head; kissing her hand in that cool European way, dancing with her, the feel of her body against his.

_If things were different . . ._

He sighed and stared at the floor. So many times over the past six months he'd thought about trying to develop a more serious relationship with Mireet. But just when he worked up the courage to broach the issue with her, he remembered how all his work with the Guild had ultimately doomed his relationship with Talia. He'd be damned if he'd become involved with another woman only to have the war come between them, especially one he deeply cared about like Mireet Miradeaux.

Even though he couldn't act on his true feelings for Mireet right now, he did love the fact that she was here in The States, and that they got to work together quite a bit, given her role in the magical communications network between the U.S. and Europe. She also helped provide him with news on how their friends in England were doing. Katie Bell had made a full recovery from touching that cursed necklace and returned to Hogwarts. Angelina Johnson made it onto the reserve squad for the Portsmouth Contrails. Fred and George's business was booming, thanks in large part to all the magical defense items they sold. Best of all, Gryffindor defeated Ravenclaw for the Quidditch Cup. Okay, he felt maybe a teeny, tiny bit of sympathy for his Ravenclaw buds Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot. But hey, he was a proud Gryffindor, and all's fair in friendship and Quidditch.

On the soap opera front, Ron Weasley had broken up with Lavender Brown, and word was he and Hermione Granger had grown closer than ever, to the point some expected to hear shouts of, "Oh, Ron!" "Oh, Hermione," coming from a broom closet or empty classroom one day.

_I still just can't see it._ He shook his head.

On top of that, Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas split up, and now Ginny was with Harry Potter!

_Never even saw that one coming._ Okay, he knew Ginny had hero worshipped Harry when she was little, a fact Fred and George teased her about. But during all his time at The Burrow, he never saw a single sign that those two had real feelings for one another. If anything, he thought Harry and Luna had more of a spark than Harry and Ginny.

_Then again, what do I know about this stuff. _Hell, for all he knew, the very studious Anthony Goldstein and the very giggly Parvati Patil had something going on.

He shook his head, vowing to stop trying to figure out the mysteries of Hogwarts relationships. He'd just accept whatever couples came out of that school and be done with it . . . unless it was one as revolting as – _God forgive me for even thinking up this one – _Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy!

_Yeah. Talk about something that could never, eeeever happen._

Just thinking of the ferrety little bastard made him recall the most disturbing bit of news he'd received from Hogwarts. Malfoy and Harry had been dueling in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom when the prick tried to nail Harry with a Cruciatus Curse. Harry retaliated with some curse that slashed Malfoy's chest. Such an attack sounded extreme for someone like Harry. Still, Malfoy had tried to cast an Unforgivable Curse his way. Maybe that would make the jagoff think twice before trying something like that again.

It also made him wonder if a duel on that scale meant something rather bad could be boiling under the surface at Hogwarts. After all, Malfoy's old man was a Death Eater. Same with the parents of his lapdogs, Crabbe and Goyle. Same with a ton of other people in Slytherin. Could the junior Death Eaters be up to something inside the school?

Goosebumps sprouted on his arms. The back of his neck suddenly itched. He felt like the whole world was bracing for a huge explosion.

O'Bannon grunted. Amazing how a lull in the fighting could make someone so on edge.

_Maybe I need to fight a Wendigo or another mutant Chupacabra to calm myself down. Ha-ha._

_Or try something simple. Like a shower._

Putting his water jug on the kitchenette table and throwing his towel on the back of the chair, he headed for the bathroom.

Someone knocked on the door.

He froze, brow furrowed. It was barely eight o'clock. Who'd be coming to see him this early? He picked up his wand from his desk and moved toward the door. "Yes?"

"Jimmy. It's me, Mireet."

"Okay. Why did your sister Monica ask you to accompany her to meet me and my friends at Normandy last year?"

"My sister's name is Monique. And she did not ask me to come. I pestered her until she relented and took me along. Now, if the only two hockey teams you could play for were the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers, which one would you pick?"

"Neither. I hate 'em both."

He opened the door. Mireet stood before him in very stylish blue and white robes that accentuated her curves. She had her blond hair tied in a ponytail.

Merlin's beard, she looked gorgeous.

"Hey. Come in. What brings you by . . . so . . . early?" He canted his head as he studied her face. She looked . . . stunned? Upset?

"Mireet? You okay?"

"No." She shook her head. "Something terrible has happened."

His chest clenched. "Come on. Have a seat."

He guided her over to the couch, where they both sat. Tension radiated from her face, like she was trying to fight down the urge to break down. It made his stomach twist into a knot.

"Mireet, what is it?"

She turned to him, flexing her jaw. More long, agonizing seconds of silence past before she spoke. "We received a message at the French Embassy a short while ago. There . . . there was an attack at Hogwarts. Death Eaters broke into the school. There was a huge battle and . . . and . . ."

Fear clawed his insides. _Someone's dead. _He braced himself for the name. Was it Ginny? Ron? Ernie? Luna? Michael? Hermione? Harry?

"Headmaster Dumbledore was killed."

He went numb. A cocoon of disbelief enveloped him. Headmaster Dumbledore? Killed? No way. Mireet couldn't have said that.

"Wha . . . Are . . . Are you sure?"

"Yes," she whispered, nodding emphatically.

O'Bannon's mouth fell open. He sat silently for nearly a minute. "No. I mean, he can't be dead. Come on, this has to be a mistake. This is . . . this is Albus Dumbledore we're talking about. He can't be dead."

"It's true, Jimmy. We confirmed it. I . . . I can scarcely believe it myself, but it is true. Headmaster Dumbledore is dead."

He fell back against the cushions, staring straight ahead. In his mind's eye he pictured himself seeing Dumbledore at meals, walking the corridors of Hogwarts and saying "hello" to students. He remembered all the stuff he read about him in his History of Magic class when he was younger, imagining him to be ten feet tall and surrounded by flashing lighting bolts. What he found instead when he came to Hogwarts was a kindly old wizard with more life in him than a lot of people decades younger. Yet beneath his friendly and witty demeanor lay a bottomless well of power and wisdom.

Now all that had been snuffed out.

"How?" he muttered.

"From what we can gather, Professor Snape confronted Dumbledore atop one of the battlements. He . . . he cast a Killing Curse and . . ." She bit her lip, unable to continue.

"Snape?" O'Bannon felt the color drain from his face. Anger and shock dueled within him. _Snape. Friggin' Snape? Snape killed Dumbledore?_

"Son-of-a-bitch." He leaned forward, arms resting on his legs. Snape. Yeah, he hated the guy. Yeah, he was a bitter asshole who got his rocks off making every non-Slytherin student at Hogwarts miserable. But . . . to kill Headmaster Dumbledore? Snape was in the Order of the Phoenix, for God's sake! He came up with the Pest Elimination Potion that helped defeat the mutated Chupacabra. And now he switched sides?

_Did he really switch sides?_

It was no secret Snape served You-Know-Who during the first war, and had supposedly "reformed" when that conflict ended.

_Bullcrap he reformed. _He betrayed Dumbledore. Betrayed them all.

Every muscle in him tightened. He clenched his fist, thinking back over a year ago to the Longathian Tunnel Affair. He had run into Snape in the corridors while trying to get away from a couple aurors. They struggled, during which time Snape was accidentally hit in the head with a Stunning Spell. He collapsed, dragging O'Bannon with him, and banged his skull on the floor.

_Maybe if I'd fallen differently, fallen on him. Maybe he could have hit the floor harder. Cracked his skull and gone into a coma. Or broke his damn neck. Then none of this would have happened._

His head drooped. He felt Mireet's hand on his back.

"What . . . what's going to happen now?" she asked tentatively.

O'Bannon slowly worked his jaw back and forth. He remembered Harry and Ron telling him how Lord Voldemort feared Dumbledore, how that kept the madman from acting openly.

But Dumbledore was dead. Who did Voldemort have to fear now?

_No one._

He sat back up, Mireet's hand still on his back. He stared blankly at the walls of his apartment. But instead of walls, he pictured an open field. In the horizon he imagined gray clouds appearing in the sky, merging, changing into an evil blend of black and gray. So much like a typical summer thunderstorm. You watched it build and build, getting darker and darker. You tensed, waiting, wondering when the sky would unleash the full fury of the storm.

But the storm that was building now would unleash something other than rain and thunder and lightning.

Something far worse.

Slowly, he turned to Mireet, staring into her worried face.

"I think things are about to get really, _really _bad."

- THE END –

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_So ends "Midnight's Blood." Thanks to everyone who has read this, and special thanks to the ones who left reviews. As you can see, this chapter was a set up for my next epic story. What did Jimmy, Jared, Rosa and Artimus do during Book 7? Find out in the quartet's next adventure, "In The Grip Of Darkness," posted now on fanfiction-dot-net. Also, if you enjoyed this story, check out my original sci-fi adventure novel "Dark Wings," where otherworldly creatures that resemble Mothman and the Jersey Devil invade Earth. Available now in paperback from Amazon and as an e-book at smashwords-dot-com._


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